city limits magazine, december 2001 issue

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NEW YORK'S URBAN AFFAIRS NEWS MAGAZINE

5 DECEMBER 2001 W TC R EB U ILD IN G1 2 > N O N P R O F IT S SUFFER

FRO M BAD BUS INESS

TH E BETRA YA L

O F BR OO KLY N

o 74470 94460 7



EDITORIAL

GIVING PAINS

DRIVING DOWN THE MAloR DEEGAN, the sight of the

towering "II" is hard to miss. A billboard for the

September 11 Fund-par t of the biggest burst

of charitable giving of all time, $1. 1 b illion in

aII--doesn't advertise anything other than its

own name and web site, and it doesn't have to.

It bom acknowledges and stirs our duty ro give,

to fight mose who would destroy lives , by

demonstrating our own concern for victims.

Welcome to the age of mass-market philan

mropy, where direct mail appeals are a dated

(and now, possibly deadly) habit. In meory,

popularizing charity-much as the stock boom

helped popularize wealm- means mere's more

good to spread around. No longer will egg

heads at the Ford Foundation (which is now

giving $11.2 mill ion to such painstakinglychosen recipients as WNYC radio and the

Legal Aid Society) or the Rockefeller Founda

tion ($5 million to groups working with Mus-

lims, Arabs and So uth Asians) monopolize

decis ions about what causes are worthy of

inves tment .

T he new marketplace for giving is being

driven by latter-day Fords and Rockefelle r s -

at las t count, corporations have contributed

more than $426 mill ion to relief charities.

While waiting for clarification on a plan for

federal benefits for victims' families, the private

sector has mobilized-the emphasis on private.

Two years ago, me Internal Revenue Service

decided mat contributions to funds for corporate

employees and meir families were part of benefit

packages, and merefore had to be taxed. No

longer. Cantor Fitzgerald, which lost hundreds

ofworkers in me calamity, received a waiver from

the IRS mat allows me company to raise money

tax-free. The company tells donors mat their

contributions may go to any victim of me disas

ter. But it's making no promises, and its funds

could be used for me exclusive benefit of its own

families. For now, Cantor Fitzgerald reports mat

"we're in me process of working out the details."Corporate philanthropy inevitably aligns with

the identity a company wants to project- and in

this case, the national fascination and grief over

the heroism of public servants has proven an

opportunity for an eerie kind of co-branding.

AOL Time Warner sells magazines commemo

rating New York's heroes-and makes a $5 mil-

lion contribution, most of it to uniformed of

cers' funds. Allstate, Bristol-Meyers, C igna, Ve

ron-these are just a few of the corporatio

pledging so lidarity with New York's dead firem

and police, more than $70 million of t. That's

percent of all their giving, targeted at a group th

accounts for about 8 percent of those who di

and an even smaller fract ion of total need.

wouldn't deny bereaved families a cent of it. B

companies aligning themselves with New Yor

bravest aren't especially heroic. For them, it's bu

ness as us ual .

T here's still time to make sure that givi

and getting reflect the values we 're supposed

be fighting for, for democracy and equity, and

sense that misfortune is something to be mi

gated, not exploited. The September 11 Fu

has been taking particular care to urge dono

to allow their do llars to go wherever they're ulmately most needed. But if the trend towa

giving from the gut is lefr unchecked the pub

outpouring will quickly sour into a reminder

how divided our society really is.

Cover photographs: eft: Linda Rosier (archive ); right: Gregory P. Mango. 866 Beck Street, now boarded up.

/ -Alyssa K

v - D Ed

CenteI or an

FUtroanu ure

The Center for an Urban Futurethe sister organization of City Limits

www.nycfuture.org

Not all of the influentia l writing about policy issues

in New York City today is comingfrom the Right.

Combining City Limits' zest for investigative reporting with thorough policy

analysis, the Center for an Urban Future is regularly influencing New York 's

decision makers with fact-driven studies about policy issues that are important to

all five boroughs and to New Yorkers of all socio-economic levels.

Go to ou r website or contact us to obtain any of our recent studies :

>I Building a Highway to Higher Ed : How Collaborative Efforts Are Changing Education in America (June 2001)

>I The Workforce Challenge: To Place is To Win (May 2001)

>I Payoffs fo r Layoffs: Designed to Save Jobs, New York City's Corporate Retention Deals Often Result in Job Cuts (Feb ruary 2001)

>I On a Wing and a Prayer: Highway Gridlock, Antiquated Cargo Facilities Keep New York's Airports Grounded (October 2000)

To obtain a report, get on our mailing list or sign up for our free e-mail policy updates,contact Research Director Jonathan Bowles at [email protected] or (212) 479-3347.

City Limits re lies on the generous support of its readers and advert isers, as well as the following funders : The Adco Foundation, The Robert Sterl ing Clark Foundation, The Child We lfare Fund , Th

Unitarian Universaist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock, Open Society Institute , The Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, The Scherman Foundaton , he JPMorganChase, The Annie E. Casey Foundatio

The Booth Ferris Foundation , The New York Community Trust, The Taconic Foundation, LlSC, Deutsche Bank, M&T Bank, The Cit igroup Foundation.



CONTENTS

Fi f U R ~ - 14 CHANGING WITH THE

TIMES SQUAREThe Times Square Hotel is a story of succesful evolution, going from

a hazardous horror show to amodel for supporting the formerly

homeless. But it may remain the exception, not the rule.

By Beverly Cheuvront

16 THIS SOLD HOUSEThe city's massive-and unexamined-tax lien sales program is

swelling the ranks of homeowners desperate to payoff tax debt,

creating perfect targets for predatory lenders.

By Matt Pacenza

20 CRUMBLE IN THE BRONXBefore Freddy, there wa s another force behind the South Bronx's

rebirth: community group Banana Kelly. Now, after amanagement

meltdown, the group will have to save itself-and make peace with

the people wh o were once its partners in progress.

By Robin Le Baron

5 FRONTLINES: RADIO REALISM, RIKERS-STYLE ....HOPE FOR HOPE Vi? ...

MAs COMIDA, S'IL VOUS PLAiT ... ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROViSATIONS....

GOTHAM'S SIBERIA....PRECLUDING THE PREDATORS

NSIO

11 CLASS MOBILITYCrumbling schools. Unskilled labor. In New Jersey, they're linking two

intractable problems with a$30 million plan to train the state's poorest

residents for construction jobs rebuilding their neediest schools.

By Linda Ocasio

2 EDITORIAL

32 JOB ADS

36 PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

38 OFFICE OF THE CITY VISIONARY

IN E t ~ I - G E N C E 24 THE BIG IDEA

Just recently, there was agrowing consensus that ahealthy city

economy included outer-borough development. On September 11, th

idea suddenly became grounds for ridicule.

By Keith Kloor

26 CITY LITThe Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and His Struggle to

Save New York, by Vincent J. Cannato.

Reviewed by Michael Hirsch

28 MAKING CHANGESeptember 11 starkly revealed that New York City can't function

without nonprofits. It also showed how tenuous their

finances are. Who will come to the rescue?

By Alyssa Katz



NANCY HARDYInsurance Broker

Specializing in Community

Development Groups, HDFCs and

Non-Profits.

Low-Cost Insurance and Quality Service.

Over 20 Years of Experience.

270 North Avenue

New Rochelle, NY 10801

914-636-8455

Need a Lawyer Who

Understands Education?Quality public education is critical to the future of New

York City. Lawyers Alliance for New York provides

experienced legal services to nonprofit groups that are

engaged in innovative efforts to improve the city's pub

lic schools. Our clients range from groups partnering

with individual schools to those advocating system

wide reform. The staff attorneys at Lawyers Alliance

are specialists who understand the particular legal

challenges nonprofits face. Our volunteer attorneys

from leading law firms and corporations have out

standing experience in all areas ofbusiness law and

share our commitment to improving the public schools.

For more information about Lawyers Alliance for New

York's legal services to nonprofits working in education,

call 212-219-1800 ext. 232.

33 0 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10001

212 219-1800

www.lany.org

Lawyers Alliance

for New YorkBuilding a Better New York

CITY LIMITSVolume XXY Number 10

City Limits is published ten times per year, monthly except b

monthly issues in July/August and September/October, by th

City Limits Community Information Service, Inc., a non-prof

organization devoted to disseminating information concernin

neighborhood revitalization.

Publisher: Kim Nauer [email protected]

Associate Publisher: Anita Gutierrez [email protected] itor: Alyssa Katz [email protected]

Managing Editor: Tracie McMillan [email protected]

Senior Editor: Annia Ciezadlo [email protected]

Senior Editor: Jill Grossman [email protected]

Associate Editor: Matt Pacenza [email protected]

Contributing Editors : JamesBradley, Wendy Davis, Michael

Hirsch, Kemba Johnson ,Nora McCarthy

Robert Neuwirth

Design Direction: Hope Forstenzer

Proofreader : Sandy Soco lar

Photographers: Gregory P. Mango, Jake Pr ice, Smon Lee

Contributing Photo Editor: Joshua Zuckerman

Contributing Illustration Editor: Noah Sca lin

Intern : Mark Greer

General EMail Address: [email protected]

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Director : Neil Kleiman [email protected]

Research Oirector: Jonathan Bowles jbowles@nycfuture .o

Project Director: David J. Fi sc her [email protected]

BOARD OF DIRECTORS'

Beverly Cheuvront, New York City Coalition Against Hun ger

Ken Emerson

Mark Winston Griffith, Central Brooklyn Partnership

Celia Irvine, Legal Ad Society

Francine Justa, Neighborhood Housing Services

Andrew Reicher, UHAB

Tom Robbins, Journalist

Ira Rubenstein , Emerging Industries AllianceMakani Themba-Nixon

Pete Williams, National Urban League

'Affiliations for identification only.

SPONSORS :

Pratt Institute Center for Community

and Environmental Development

Urban Homesteading Assistance Board

Subscription rates are: for individuals and communi

groups, $25/0ne Year, $391Two Years ; or businesses, founda

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City Limits welcomes comments and article contribution

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FRONT LINES

Andre Vaughn is piecing together a

radio show about the life that led him

to Rikers Island at 13.

IN ACHINATOWN LOFT, THREE PRODUCERS sit listening to a rough cut of a

radio documentary. From the tape comes the low, husky voice of a kid

called Dirty Redd. He grew up begging for food , or stealing it, when his

crack-addicted mother couldn't care for him. At 13 , he landed in Rikers

Island for theft. After his mother died, he went to jail upstate twice more

for armed robbery.

"They classified me as a violent prisoner," Andre Vaughn, now 21

and no longer sporting his nickname, narrates over the beat of a Dr.

Dre song. But thanks to his own drive and some tough discussions with

his supportive girlfriend, he's landed on his feet and in the production

studio, working on a documentary he hopes will help keep other teens

out of jail.

Andre's nine-minure audio snapshot is one of five recently produced by

Youth Porrraits, a collaboration between the Rikers-based Friends of Island

Academy, a job training and peer counseling program for recently incar

cerated youth, and Sound Portraits, an award-winning production compa

ny. The segments, to be aired on National Public Radio and Hot 97,

chronicle the life experiences of teens who've spent time in prison. Typi

cally, prospects for these kids are dismal: About 70 percent of prisoners

under 18 end up back behind bars, according to the Correctional Associ

ation of New York.

Despite a 25 percent drop in crimes by teens since 1994, nearly every

DECEMBER 2001

Jailhouse Docstate in the union has passed or amended laws making it easier to try k

as adults. Youth Portraits producer Stacy Abramson hopes her proj

will scale back these numbers and push policy-makers and radio listen

to get beyond their stereotypes of young people in jail. "For people w

don't ordinarily come into contact with these kids, when they hear th

stories, they know these are real people with real families who fall in lo

who struggle," she says . "It becomes harder for people to write them of

Abramson prodded her students, all of whom are peer counselors

the Academy, to ask their families and themselves some tough questio

"Those were some of the deepest and longest conversations I've had w

them. They said things they'd never said to me before," says Andre, w

interviewed his girlfriend, sister and foster father.

That tactic also worked for Ariel Corporan, who, as a teenag

belonged to a gang, dealt drugs and spent three months at Rikers. W

a microphone in hand, the 22-year-old says , "I asked my father why

walked out when I was eight months old, and I asked my mother h

she felt when my stepfather was beating me. "

Working among white-collar professionals in lofts full of comput

also offered some lessons. "They cared so much," says Andre, who n

uses digital recording software to record his own rhymes. "They co

have been our voice for us, bu t they showed us how to put it togethe

-Nora McCar



FRONT l lNES

To save affordable

housing, Stamford

demands smart

demolition.

By Matthew Strozier

NO ONE DISAGREES THAT VIDAL COURT has prob

lems. Elevators in the low-to-moderate-income

complex in Stamford, Connecticut operate

sporadically; the stairwells smell of urine; lead

paint is chipping off the walls. The open-air

hallways are magnets for drug dealers. The

question is: How to fix them?

The local Housing Authority's proposed

solution: Demolish the 216-unit development

and replace it with smaller mixed-income town

houses and garden apartments. This strategy is

6

AHome for a Home

already underway elsewhere in Stamford and in

more than 100 other cities across the country as

part of or, in the case of Vidal, inspired by the

federal Homeownership and Opportunity for

People Everywhere, a.k.a. HOPE VI. While the

program provides tens of thousands of dollars to

spruce up public housing developments, Stam

ford tenants and labor officials say it does so at

the cost of losing hundreds of essential units of

affordable housing.

To turn that argument into action, the

city's legislature unanimously passed an ordi

nance on October 1 requiring that owners of

government-subsidized housing replace everyunit they demolish, or convert to market rate,

with an apartment renting for the same price .

The so-called "one-for-one" law, which

applies to tenants with incomes below 50 per

cent of the local median, is the first such law

passed anywhere in the country since 1995.

"This will ensure that demolition does not

occur for frivolous reasons, for profit , or for

political reasons that are not in the best interest

of the tenants and the city of Stamford as a

whole," says Shanon Jacovino, director of the

AFL-CIO Stamford Organizing Project, which,

along with a coalition of pub

housing tenants, first propo

the bill last spring.

The ordinance is a thro

back to a provision of the Ho

ing Act of 1937 that Congr

did away with six years ago.

that time, its opponents argu

the replacement requirem

was too costly and therefore d

couraged property owners fr

demolishing vacant drug- a

crime-infested apartments."In large urban areas, wh

you had a lot of these obso

units, the cost of the land was

prohibitive that you could

replace those units, " says Ju

Barreto, director of legislat

and program development

the National Association

Housing and Redevelopm

Officers (NAHRO), which su

ported the repeal. Once you

rid of that requirement,

argues, "then you gave hous

agencies more flexibility in pviding housing for people."

The Stamford Organizing Project argu

however, that "more flexibility" was too much

soon as the federal one-for-one rule was lifted

1995, the Stamford Housing Authority dem

ished several high-rises in Southfield Village

dilapidated public housing complex in the po

est neighborhood in the city. The agency quic

made the village its poster child for bring

HOPE VI to Stamford, arguing that the 19

buildings were drug-ridden and in need ofma

capital repairs. In October 1997, the age

received a $26.4 million HOPE VI grant

replace the remaining cluster of low-rise buings with handsome townhouses and gard

style apartments. This summer, the first tena

moved into Southwood Square, the new priva

ly owned complex, which includes a swimm

pool and fimess center.

No one disagrees that the new apartme

look much better, but the number of lo

income apartments lost does not look so go

The number dropped significantly, to 2

from the 502 that had been in Southfield V

lage. The Housing Authority insists that

HOPE VI grant did not cover replacing

CITY LIM



256 apartments that were in the rowers it rore

down in 1995, and since more than 50 percent

of those units were vacant when the wrecking

ball hit, there was no need ro replace them.Ir's this very logic that some housing advo

cates say has contributed ro the shorrage of

affordable apartments over the last few years.

According ro the federal Department of Hous

ing and Urban Development, those new devel

opments on average cut the number of low

income units by 70 ro 75 percent.

At the very least, members of the Stamford

Organizing Project hope, the "one for one"

ordinance will ensure that the city's affordable

housing srock doesn't get any smaller. "Our

members, many of them residents of public

housing, are getting priced out of the market,"

says Jacovino. A city of 117,000, Stamford sitsin a section of Fairfield County with some of

the highest rents in the nation, third behind

San Francisco and San Jose, California. Despite

having the country's

highest median

tenants with the same low income levels as

those living in the old building.

In Stamford, while Mayor Dannell Ma lloy

supports the ordinance, he has his own set of

worries. If HU D does not increase funding

for replacement units and relax its ru les on

density, he says, developments like South

wood Square many not be possible in the

future . "The design of HOPE VI is to

encourage a decrease in density," Malloy says.

"It does not pay for all replacement units."

And with $44 million worth of renovations

needed on the city's three state-financed com

plexes, including Vidal Court, none of which

are eligible for HOPE VI funds, money is

already expected ro be tight.

Despite these challenges, the Housing

Authority insists it has creative funding plans to

make it work. Affordable housing development

in Stamford can rely on funds generated by

market-rate units in mixed-income develop-

ments , an approach

Richard Fox, executive

income-$I 09,800 for

a family of four-about

a quarter of residents in

Waterside, home to

Southwood Square, live

at or below the poverty

level. With virtually

every public housing

unit occupied, an

affordable apartment is

not easy to come by.

HOPE VI brought

$26.4 million-

and took away

217 low-cost

director of the Authori

ty, calls "Robin Hood."

"We are going to have

ro harness that thriving

economy to provide low

and moderate-income

housing," Fox says,

adding that available tax

credits and a booming

real estace market will

drive private financing to

affordable housing devel

opments. And if the

"I don't know any

one who wouldn't want

to live better," says

apartments.

Wendy Nelson, vice

president of the tenants' association at Vidal

Court, a state-subsidized complex. "But it's a

matter of if us low-income people will be able

to live in these nicer apartments they are ta lk-

ing about."

Of course, as other cities have discovered

over the years, making one-for-one viable is

not easy, in large part due ro costs the federal

government has not been willing to cover.

Hartford had a one-for-one replacement ordi

nance that required private developers ro pay

into a housing fund for every low-income

apartment they demolished or price-hiked. Six

yea rs ago, as Congress voted to do away with

its one-for-one provision, a newly elected

block of conservative legislarors in Hartford

guned their local law. In Seanle, the Housing

Authority recently signed a memorandum of

agreement to replace every unit in its most

recent Hope VI project, bu t not necessarily for

DECEMBER 2001

economy takes a nose

dive? Given Stamford's

proximity to New York City, says Fox, there will

always be a demand for housing there.

Malloy laments that if the ordinance

allowed new replacement units ro be sold

rather than rented-a possibility that had

been discussed-then the city would be able

to compete for state and federal funds slated

for homeownership.

Whatever the funding strategy, tenants and

union members hope the ordinance will head

off plans to demolish any more affordable housing. "It's obvious that there was a bigger plan

here," says Clay Smith, an organizer with the

Stamford Organizing Project. "I think people

wanted to get out of running from one place to

another purring out fires and come up with

solution that would preserve public housing." •

Matthew Strozier is a reporter for the Stamford

Advocate.

FRONT l lNES

== HOUSING==Flipping OutIT WAS THE CLASSIC REAL ESTATE scam:

cheap and resell fast at inflated prices. It was

foundation of the 203(k) scandal, in which s

ulators conspired to defraud homebuyers, l

ing to the abandonment of nearly 600 prope

in Harlem and Brooklyn. It's also helped

skyrocketing home foreclosure rates-a sta

which New York City leads the nation-as tr

ing borrowers buy overvalued homes wh

structural flaws have been covered up.

In September, the federal Departmen

Housing and Urban Development made a m

ro end this "ilipping," by proposing new r

withholding federal mortgage guarantees f

properties that have recently been resold. Un

these rules, a home must remain under the s

ownership for six months before it can qua

for Federal Housing Administration loans.

The change could not have come soo

Last year, FHA delinquency rates in the five

oughs jumped by more than 30 percent as

in 10 borrowers fell more than three mo

behind on their FHA mortgages. Reasons ra

from rising family debt to a slowing econo

but increasingly everyone, including HUD

blaming predatory lending-the pranice of

ing loans to low-income bortowers with ad

fees, high interest rates and hidden payment

Other new HUD rules aimed at figh

predarory lending include strengthening overs

of mortgage brokers: The agency says it wo

end its relationship with any lender whose def

rate is significan tly higher than local and natio

averages. And in mid-October, HUD Secre

Mel Martinez called for "full disclosure of all c

associated with obtaining a home loan."

Some activists are cautiously pleased. "A

thing the Secretary does ro srop foreclosu

and predarory practices is good," says Tr

Van Slyke of the National Training and In

mation Center, which promotes investmen

low-income communities. "But enforcing

rules is the most important thing."

Indeed, in New York City, requiring lend

ro check property transfer information fr

court dockets and county clerks' records bef

making a loan may be a tall order, given

record-updating in those offices is mon

behind. "T he six-month restriction is a jok

says Pamela Sah, an attorney with the fore

sure prevention division of South Brook

Legal Services. "The seller will JUSt wait

days and then flip them." -Matt Pace



FRONT l lNES

Organizers tweakpriorities after

September 11ByHilaryRuss

"CALL US A LITTLE OFF our rockers, " says

Bryan Pu-Folkes, president of New Immigrant

Community Empowerment (NICE), "but we

try to do as much work as possible and get less

sleep. " He speaks into his cell phone above the

rhythmic whirring of exercycle spokes. After

his evening workout at the gym, it 's back to

the office for a night of strategizing on how to

bring different immigrant groups together in

the city's new atmosphere of economic shortfalls and racial paranoia.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11,

grassroots community groups across the city

have been following similarly jam-packed sched

ules as they scramble to maintain their missions

while taking on new programs in response to

their neighborhoods' changing needs.

8

Planting New Roots

No one is quite sure how sustainable these

new efforts will be. Individual and corporate

donors are increasingly redirecting their philan

thropic contributions to relief efforts, and city

and state budgets are facing severe cuts. "We

can't really plan until we have a pulse," says Fran

Barrett of the Community Resource Exchange.

However, most foundations, Barrett adds,

have voiced an unwavering commitment to the

grassroots causes they have funded for years.

The North Star Fund, for one, has established

a 9.11 Activist Fund to give community organ

izing groups small grants for emergency needs

and sustained support for mid- to long-range

planning efforts. As of late October, the Fund

had doled out $2,500 in emergency grants

($500 to Women for Afghan Women and

$2,000 to Downtown Community Television

for its upcoming series "America at War, Then

and Now") . The foundation hoped to raise

another $50,000 at a November 8 fundraiser.

Meanwhile, community groups work to

keep up with the times.

• For more than a year, NICE has focused most

of its resources on coordinating the Govern

ment Access and Accountability Campaign, an

effort to get candidates for city office to commit

to holding regular town hall meetings, condu

ing surveys of their districts' needs and public

ing reports on how tax dollars are spent. O

Islamic fundamentalists were named as per

trators of the Trade Tower attacks, however,

all-volunteer organizing group began reach

out to young immigrants to help them d

with and combat the bias incidents that w

cropping up around the city.

"We decided that since we're an organizat

that 's about bringing communities toget

across racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural lin

there was a void to be filled," says Pu-FolkesFrom there, a new partnership was for

with the Council for Unity, a nonprofit t

teaches community and personal developm

in over 50 city schools. A quick application

funds to the Citizens Committ ee of New Y

produced $500 for a unity rally for teens

Flushing Park. Students from Newcomer H

School, the Academy for New Americans a

other immigrant-heavy schools read al

poems and letters, and painted a handful

six-by-nine-foot murals to hang in the s

capital and in fire and police departme

around the city.

More events, including a youth summit,

also in the works, but Pu-Folkes stresses t

none of this can happen without m

resources. Already short-handed, the group

now in search of funds to hire a muralist an

coordinator for future rallies. Some good ne

In late October, the NICE board brought

two new members and approved the gro

first office, a closet-sized space in Corona.

• Imani House, a small Park Slope-ba

group, offers support-from English and ad

literacy classes to a food pantry-to local L

no families. After September 11, the grou

staff worked with the Commission for Hum

Rights to develop and post flyers outlining h

to legally combat harassment. They reac

out to local Arab Americans and asked them

hang the posters in their shops and distrib

them at their mosques. "I've seen what eth

centricity can do to tear a country apart," s

Imani Executive Director Bisi Iderabdull

who lived through the evacuation of Libe

West Africa, in 1996. She has also shifted

focus of a collaborative program with the N

York Civil Liberties Union from juvenile jus

to race and policing after the terrorist attack

CITY LIM



• Asociacion Tepeyac de Nueva York, a social service

group for newly arrived Mexican immigrants, suspended

its after-school, English, and computer classes as well as

its volunteer communiry organizer training for a monthfollowing September 11. The new focus: helping its

member families and employees-largely undocument

ed immigrants-who lost jobs or loved ones in the

attacks get the financial and emotional support they

need. Its staff posted photos and traveled to hospitals and

morgues to assist members searching for missing family.

"This is kind of a harvest," says Executive Director Joel

Magallan Reyes about the large numbers of people who

have come to them for assistance. To continue its efforts,

and increase its staff and phone line capaciry, the group

applied to the September 11 Fund and other founda

tions for support, but at press time had yet to receive

word. Meanwhile, the Asociaci6n has changed the

theme of its annual Dia del Muerte celebration, scheduled for November 1, to "invisible people."

• Jews for Racial and Economic Justice had been lob

bying the state legislature for a year to repeal the Rock

efeller drug laws when the events of September 11

bumped the issue aside and thwarted, at least temporar

ily, a three-year campaign to get more state money for

public schools. Now, the group has put off its biggest

annual fundraiser until March to devote "125 percent"

of its energies to peace rallies and outreach to main

stream Jewish communities, says Executive Director

Andrew Stetmer. The long-term base-building efforts to

draw Jews of color have been dropped for now, as has

JFREJ's role in the unionizing efforts at a kosher foodfactory in Williamsburg. Instead, a new partnership is

growing with Muslims Against Terrorism, a group

formed after September 11, and issues affecting Arab

and Muslim Americans have quickly become a center

piece. Unlike many other small groups, JFREJ's cash

flow seems ro be solid for the year: The Tides Founda

tion recently gave them a $10,000 emergency grant.

• SAKHI for South Asian Women connects victims of

domesric violence from New Jersey and the five bor

oughs with trained caseworker volunteers and offers

services like English and computer classes and legal aid.

Now, in addition to offering needs assessment to its

members, SAKHI is collaborating with the six-monthold nonprofit Women for Afghan Women to develop a

high-school curriculum on feminism and violence in

South Asian and Afghan communities. To fund these

new endeavors, the Third Wave Foundation has

chipped in $1,500 . Urgent Action donated $3,000,

and persuaded the Ms. Foundation to give SAKHI a

$5,000 grant. A scholarship program is also in the

works, to be established in the name of a longtime vol

unteer, Swarna Chalasani, who has not been heard

from since September 11. •

Hilary Russ isa Manhattan-based freelance writer.

DECEMBER 2001

FRONT l lNE

FIRSTHAND

On My OwnI'M A NATIVE NEW YORKER. I'm 47 . I have some emotional problems so I live on disabi

checks. A ew years ago, I was living in acheap hotel in Harlem and the owner wanted te

ants who paid more. So he to ld he police I was doing vandalism . He said I smashed elev

tor doors and threw paint down the stairs. He had me arrested three times for that and fin

ly kicked me out. First I ried a ew other SROs [single-room-occupancy hotels]. I was at o

on 112th Street that was really, really bad. There was active drug use , people always haning out in the lobby. The landlord brutalized residents. The building was kind of run down.

I ried looking around for another SRO, but there was nothing available. There just are

many left. There 'saconsensus in this city that they need to get rid of the SROs. They say th

bring down property values. But for guys like me , here 'snowhere else to go. It'seither this

homeless shelters or mental hospitals. And you don 't want to stay there: They're very scary

What's also happened is that the SROs that are left in Manhattan have been taken o

by organizations that provide special needs housing. Iwent to one of them that seemed ni

Awoman said , "Mr. Warner, you're not HIV positive, you're not a hardcore drug and alcoh

addict. You don 't fall in any of our categories. We can't help you."

It makes it very tough for someone who just wants acheap private room. Places that us

to be affordable, ike Washington Heights and Hamilton Heights, he prices have gone throu

the roof. And there 'snothing new and affordable being built: All new housing is lUXUry hou

ing. I'mon waiting lists for Mitchell-Lama housing and Section 8 vouchers , but it will be

long time. They're very hard to get into.

I finally found this room way out here in the Rockaways. It's the Siberia of New York C

I guess that's where they put people like me. I pay $533 a month for a private room with

shower and abath. It'sOK, but it could be better. The main thing is that the staff could do

lot more. This is supposed to be transitional housing, but they don't pay much attention to

I alk to some of the others here about making improvements, or about organizing the te

ants, but they won 't get involved .They're afraid of being out on the street. There 'snowhere e

to go. -Darryl Warner, as told to Matt Pacen



FRONT l lNES

==WE t fARE==Universal BenefitsINOCENClA NOLASCO, a 59-year-old disabled

Dominican immigrant, applied for food stamps

to feed her grandchildren last year, but not one

caseworker at the ciry welfare office could walk

her through the process in Spanish. It took four

appointments before she finally got benefits.

Undercover work by the federal Department

of Health and Human Services in 1999 found

situacions like Nolasco's are aU too common. By

next year, however, it should be the excepcion.

In early October, the ciry settled a two-year legal

battle in Manhattan's federal court, agreeing to

provide translation and interpretacion services ataU of its 21 food stamp offices.

"This settlement marks a pretty much 180-

degree turn-around by the Giuliani administra

cion," says Andrew Friedman of Make the Road

by Walking, a Bushwick-based advocacy group

that filed the lawsuit in August 1999 with theNew York Legal Assistance Group and the Puer

to Rican Legal Defense and Educacion Fund.

The ciry estimates 100,000 low-income immi

grants will benefit from the agreement, a num-

ber advocates guess wiU be even higher.

Under the court mandate, the ciry's Human

Resources Administracion has unril February to

send our letters in 17 languages to every New

Yorker on food stamps, informing them of their

right to translators. After surveying aU of its

clients, the ciry will then be required to offer

services in two to five additional languages,

depending on need. And every job, income sup

port, and food stamp office must post notices inup to nine languages about the availabiliry of

translation services, and offer a hotline number

OPEN CITY

Timothy Fadek

Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Isand City

to caU if interpretacion is not provided.

The ciry says it has already signed contract

with translation companies to create forms and

documents in Spanish, Russian, Chinese and

Arabic, the ciry's most commonly spoken non

English languages. The first of those, in Russ

ian, were scheduled to be available in earl

November.

But irnplementacion is expected to be slow

parricularly as the mayor caUs for budget cut

from ciry agencies. "It's a monumental job," say

Friedman, nocing the ciry will need rime to asses

recipients' needs and staff capaciry. Whil

changes get underway for food stamp appli

cants, Medicaid recipients await word on a law

suit NYLAG and other groups filed in 1999 to

remedy similar situations in Medicaid offices

"Hopefully, this settlement wiU speed thingup," says NYLAG counsel Randal Jeffrey.

-Tracie McMilla

From www .journalism/fragileworlds, an online photo essay about a home for emotionally disturbed foster kids.

10 CITY LIMIT



INSIDE TRACK

ClassMobilityNew Jersey's school building boom brings educationalopportunity

to young people trying to break into construction. 8y Linda Ocasio

LAST SPRING, ZAIRE JOHNSON FINAllY obtained

his high school diploma from a night school

program in Newark. Johnson, 23, had never

held a job. He lived wim his grandmother, and

he was ready to start his life: "Yo u gotta grow

up sometime, you gotta do someming," saysJohnson. "I want to try to be an electrician."

And so, on a humid evening in June, John

son sat in me un-air-conditioned auditorium of

Bloomfield Tech High School in New Jersey at

an orientation night for me Essex County Con

struction Careers (ECCC) Program, an eight

week pre-apprenticeship. Isa Mohammad, a

member of Ironworkers Local II , initiated

Johnson and 29 omers-chosen from 200

applicants-in me rights and responsibilities of

membership in a trade union. Mohammad

entered me trades when mere were few minori

ties, and he made no promises to mose assem-

For Calvin Russell , 19,

carpentry s a promising

alternative to college.

bled. "There's no guarantee, because mere are

no guarantees in life. But you have a great

opportunity," he told memo "You have to adopt

me attitude of a plumber, electrician, an iron

worker. You're part of a bromerhood."

The initiation is wide-ranging. Classes teachtrainees everyiliing from how to read blueprints

and use basic tools to the history of me trade

union movement and how to prepare for tests

and interviews. Students also visit construction

sites and receive a $100 weekly stipend. But

most importantly, mey get a precious chance to

break into lucrative trades and earn union wages.

ECCC is a pilot developed by me New Jersey

Institute for Social Justice, and funded largely

wim money from private foundations. Con

struction training programs like mis are not

unusual. In 1995, New York City's School Con

struction Aumority and omer public agencies

joined wim me Building Trades Counc

launch a similar training program, which is

run by me unions.

But New Jersey is on me brink of bui

someming much bigger: a statewide,

funded gateway into me construction bus

for young people who have historically

excluded from me field. The Institute has

advising state officials on the project, a

hoping that ECCC will be an important

ticipant in me training effort.

Last year, men-Governor Christine

Whitman signed into law me Educational F

ities Construction and Financing Act, com

ting an unprecedented $8.6 billion for s

construction and reconstruction. The law

aside one-halfof 1 percent of construction

for job training for minorities and women

The lion's share of me new constru

dollars, some $6 billion, will go to m

school districts covered under the New J

Supreme Court ruling in Abbott V. B

which ordered the state to fund poorer sc

districts at the same levels as school dis

whose property taxes pay for quality sch

Located in struggling cities like Newark

Camden, me so-called Abbott districts

chronically failing schools and high rat

unemployment and underemployment.

will see 100 percent of meir construction

covered by state-issued bonds.

As a result of the school construction

Abbott districts will receive about $30

lion for programs preparing residents for

struction jobs. The school buildingrebuilding itself will provide employmen

10 or 15 years.

It was an opportunity me Institute for S

Justice, a Newark-based advocacy group, cou

pass up. The Institute began discussions

me concept for ECCC last fall, and a new

sortium-involving school superintend

union representatives, building contra

foundations, and faim and community orga

tions from Essex County, which inc

Newark-met for me first time this past M

Their goal: To ensure mat this massive s

construction initiative-me largest public w



INSIDE TRACK

program ever undertaken in New Jersey-recog

nized its potential as a communiry revitalization

rool. "The opporruniry inherent in rhe school

consrruction program ro benefit communitiesnot only educationally but as an economic devel

opment matter is exceptional," says Ken Zim

merman, rhe organization's executive direcror.

The steering committee resolved ro make rhe

training program part of a collective enterprise,

in which unions, schools and communiry organ

izations are critical players. "We're looking at

what rhe industry wants, what rhe needs are, and

where programs fall down," says Rebecca

Doggett, direcror of rheECCC program. "From

rhe trade perspective, rhey need members, and

contracts are awarded based in part on diversiry

of workforce. For rhe school districts, it's an

opportuniry ro hook students up wirh real jobs."Unions are losing workers as rheir workforce

ages, and rhe traditional handing down of jobs

is eroding as younger generations o pt for white

collar jobs. The program is borh a source of

new apprentices and an opportunity ro build

good relations with communities ro ensure rhat

school districts support rhe use of union labor.

Communiry-based groups, many of which

constantly struggle ro fmd jobs for people in rhe

neighborhood, were eager ro see local residents

benefit from school construction. Their parricipa

tion helped ensure rhat adults who never got a

break in rhe trades could try for one now.

Finally, Abbott districts need ro do better by

rheir students: Only 33 percent of Newark

high school students go to college, and many

others end up unemployed or underemployed.

Guidance counselors often don't know what

ro do for students who aren't heading off ro col

lege. Calvin Russell , 19 , was interested in car

pentry and plumbing, but it wasn't easy getting

information about training programs from his

guidance counselor at Arts High School in

Newark. "She kept trying ro get me ro apply for

college or ro a computer technology school,"

Russell says. She finally gave him information

about ECCC-tllree days before rhe deadline

ro apply.

"THIS IS ACOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT project,

not just a school construction project," says

Mark Lohbauer, direcror of policy and com

munications for rhe New Jersey Economic

Development Authority, which is overseeing

rhe construction and rhe bond issue. "When

we identifY women and minorities in rhe

Abbott districts , we're targeting people who

need jobs the most. It will take 10 years to do

construction, and it will be a reliable source of

employment for years ro come."

12

It's no coincidence rhat Lohbauer is speaking

the same language as Doggett and Zimmerman.

He has met wirh rhem, and he says their efforr

"is rhe kind of program rhe state wants rofund. " In fact, he says, ECCC informed rhe way

the state proposal was put rogether. "In

researching a well-rounded program, we found

rhat it would need day care services, a conven

ient location, since most people in rhe program

won't have cars"-information he gleaned from

meeting wirh the Newark group.

In September, rhe New Jersey Deparrment

ofLabor entered into a memorandum of under

standing wirh rhe EDA to oversee development

of rhe training program, and issued a request for

proposals wirh a November 26 deadline. Brian

Peters, rhe direcror of rhe Division of Business

"This is a

community

development

project, not just a

school construction

project," says a

state official behind

the training effort.

Services of rhe Department of Labor, says me

initial round involves $1 million for programs

in Newark, Camden and Trenron. The scate will

issue a second RFP in January.

The state aims to draw applications from

community- and fairh-based groups, building

trades councils, employers, and vocational train

ing institutions; it's also asking applicants ro form

parmerships wirh sum groups. New Jersey's One

Srop Career Centers will be an imporrant parr of

rhe mix; rhey'L1 provide basic skill insrruction,

labor market information and fmancial support.

Even rhough a new governor will soon be

sworn in, borh Peters and Lohbauer insist the

construction initiative is not vulnerable ro polit

ical changes. But me Education Law Center,

which represented rhe students of New Jersey's

urban school districts in rhe Abbott case, wants

ro make sure me state fulfills its new legal o

gations. Joan M. Ponessa, director of resea

for rhe center, says rhe state has only gone

bond for $500 million so far-and $325 mlion of mat is going ro non-Abbott distric

Construction contracts rotaling $16 million

currently addressing health and safery vio

tions, but me state itself identified some $6

million in emergency healrh aI1d safery pr

lems, including leaky roofs, malfunction

boilers, and faulry plumbing.

Ponessa accuses EDA of dragging its f

"Those $16 million in healrh and safety contra

represent less rhan 2 percent of me $600 milli

and tlley were not made until August," Pone

says. Had rhey been made earlier, she adds, w

could have proceeded over rhe SUl1liller monr

when school was not in session: "It's not rocscience. People repair roofs all rhe time." (S

Lohbauer: "It's a fair criticism-we're not wh

we want ro be ." Screening contracrors, he sa

has been a particularly time-consuming proce

Still , Ponessa remains hopeful. The rec

downturn in the economy has only put press

on me state ro run effective job training effo

she observes: "This is a public works progra

a stimulus ro me economy."

MEANWHILE, ZIMMERMANAND DOG GETT are o

mistic that rheir prog= is already having

impact. Of rhe 26 ECCC participants who co

pleted rhe frrst pre-apprenticeship program,

have taken rhe test for rhe insularors local and t

are getting ready ro work wirh rhe ironwork

local. Two are already on me job, as a glazier a

an electrician, and an additional 10 are expec

ro be on rhe job come spring.

Zaire Johnson rhought the program w

"excellent ... It gave you the inside scoop on

unions," he says . Laid off in Ocrober from

warehouse job, he's getting his driver's lice

before he takes any union tests.

For Jamal Hollis, 30, who spent rhe last

years working as a glazier in his farher's sh

ECCC was rhe ticket ro membership in

glazier's union. Currently, he's working on

office construction site. Before a friend rold h

about ECCe, "I didn't know about connectio

ro get in, " says Hollis, who has a 9-year-

daughter. He counsels patience for orhers seek

ro break inro rhe trades: "Stay focused. If r

could sacrifice four years ro become a journ

man, rhey eventually could be making $60,00

year. You 're learning and you're getting benefYou can't beat rhat. " _

Linda Ocasio is an education and commun

development writer for severalpublications.

CITY LIMI



With things looking U ~ i n the old' l ~ ~ - ~ ~ f ___has a few things

housing.

earn for the future of supporti

By 15everly CTiellv 0

Acient, in ill health and~ i ~ ~ t f q ~ : } ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ h e was afraid that:} she

left her room, she might never be allowed to return.

Fourteen years ago, when I first visited MraM and

the Times Hotel for Limits, it was ai r ~ ' " - " t - ~ ~ m ~ ~ t r r o c i m o « U j p i m ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ a t Avenue and 43rd Street where

fragile tenants, and less lucrative than the hotel's

foreigp tourist trade, were treated like second-clast cit-

izens by a management thareven tried to make them



and similar agencies. It offered a cheap haven

to fragile New Yorkers---elderly people like

Mrs. M, mentally and physically disabled

adults and homeless people placed by social

service agencies.

By the mid 1980s, with Manhanan's real

estate market heating up again, the 735-room

Art Deco giant began to look very attractive to

speculators. So when Father Bruce Ritter and

Covenant House stepped forward in 1984 and

bought the Times Square for $17 million, ten

ants breathed a sigh of relief. Surely one of the

most prestigious charities in New York Ciry, a

charity that advertised the property as "a hotelwith a heart," would be a model landlord.

But Covenant House was blunt about its

intentions to resell the hotel and neighboring

properties for profit, hoping to create a tidyendowment for the charity. As evictions mount

ed and permanent tenants decreased by attri

tion, upset tenants began calling City Limits.

Housing advocates and community leaders

joined the outcry; Beth Gorrie of the Coalition

for the Homeless labeled Father Ritter "the

Simon Legree of nonprofit hotel management."

By 1985, Covenant House was bleeding

about $3 million a year. The charity began

packing the rooms with often-raucous students

from abroad-sometimes up to six to a room

-and homeless families.

Control of the hotel eventually went to bank

ruptcy court, which made the astonishing decision to appoint Tran Dinh Truong-the city's

most notorious SRO hotel landlord-to run the

Times Square. Truong wasted no time in raping

the hotel, packing more and more homeless

families-300 by 1990-into the hotel's tiny

single rooms. Predictably, mayhem ensued.

"It was inhuman," Gloria Senger remem

bers of the Truong years. "Gangs of children

roamed the hallways. They set fires in the halls,

they attacked people and tried to rob them.

People were injured and knocked down. The

kids would break the light bulbs so the hall

ways were quite dark. They ripped the phones

out. The elderly people really feared them, andthey wouldn't come out of their rooms."

During those terrible years, many tenants

fled, were forced out or died. No one knows

what became of Mrs. M.

In the early 19805, Rosanne Haggerty was

fresh out of college, volunteering with run

away teens at Covenant House. In those

days, Father Riner-lionized by President Rea

gan as an "unsung American hero"-was wide

ly revered. But Haggerty was troubled by the

charity. She left the organization, signed on

with Catholic Charities and began working on

her first housing project-turning a former

Catholic school into supportive SRO housing.

But her thoughts kept returning to the 15-

story, 735-room hotel at the corner of 43rd and

Eighth . The idea of creating a large-scale SRO

intrigued Haggerty, and she began brainstorm

ing with other housing developers and activists,

formulating ideas that could work in such a

large building. Their solution: a robust mix of

incomes, supportive services, good security,

commercial development and a high standard

of renovation.

When the Times Square went on the auction

block in 1988, Haggerty convinced New York

Times executives, the Shubert Organization,

Times Square Redevelopment leaders and local

community boards to give the project theirblessings. With community leaders eager to

support the redevelopment, she was able to pur

chase the hotel "in an amazingly quick period."

The next year was painful, as Haggerty

uncovered "Third World conditions" at the

Times Square Hotel. Of the remaining 200 or

so permanent tenants, a couple were home

bound and desperately in need of services.

"There were people whose ceilings had col

lapsed around them," she recalls. "There were

people with active TB, cancer sores, bedsores

infested with maggots."

To build trust, she immediately started pro

viding health care services. But it was a difficultperiod for many tenants, including the

Dwelling Place clients, as Common Ground

instituted monitoring practices-such as

guards and sign-in procedures-that some res-

idents found reassuring, and others, intrusive.

Gloria Senger admits to being skeptical

when Common Ground asked her to vacate

her studio so it could be repaired, and surprised

to find it freshly redone and ready for her. In

the bad old days, tenants often found such

promises were merely an excuse to get them

out of the room-and never let them back.

"Initially, people had trouble with the transi

tion. The trust level was very low," says SisterChiarello. "Common Ground had to work

hard in proving themselves."

In 1994, $32 million later, the hotel was

beautifully restored, right down to the

piano in the lobby. The Center for UrbanCommunity Services provides health and

social services. Rooms are comfortably fur

nished, with cooking facilities and private

baths. A Ben and Jerry's, a Papaya King and a

Starbucks provide both revenue and jobs fortenants. Amenities include a gym, darkroom,

art room, and lounges.

"The Times Square has an atmosphere tha

just and compassionate; it responds to the n

for low-income housing in a humane way," s

Sister Chiarello. She does offer one compla

Rooms at the Tunes Square Hotel are in h

demand, and "the vacancy rate is never that gr

We need more places like the Times Square."

But more places like the Times Square

erally couldn't be constructed today: Un

the city's building code, constructing new s

gle room occupancy hotels is against the l

Supportive housing must be carved out

existing buildings, or constructed in the fo

of small apartments, with their own ba

rooms, which translates into fewer units.

Of the small stock of large-scale SROs s

in existence, "they're all renting to tourissays Terry Poe of the Westside SRO Law P

ject, "and that's been the story of the la

hotels for the last nine years."

Only about 90 SROs ended up becom

supportive housing facilities like the Tim

Square; these now make up about half

total 183 supportive housing buildings in

city, estimates Maureen Friar of the Support

Housing Network. "What Common Grou

did was they combined special needs hous

with low-income housing, on a scale that h

previously not been thought possible," s

Friar, "and it worked!"

But what has been successful in the pdoesn't meet all of the needs of the future.

homeless shelters fill with record numbers

families, individual rooms with shared ba

rooms are not what they need. A better mod

say experts, are developments like the ju

begun Dorothy Day Apartments on 135th a

Riverside, a rehabilitated apartment build

that will house both single people and famili

If supportive housing for families is to thri

its builders will once again have to look to bu

ings that are no longer suitable for their origi

purpose--where, as in Times Square, a nei

borhood's desire to rid itself of a physical bli

outweighs any aversion to new residents wspecial needs. Poe, for one, points out that ab

200 buildings in Harlem languish in limbo

the wake of the HUD mortgage scandal.

"I t could be for-profit affordable housi

or public housing, but we have to go where

available housing stock is," says Friar. "T

great thing about supportive housing is t

it's an evolving model that can change with

times." •

Beverly Cheuvront was editor of City Lim

from 1987 to 1988.



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I n the summer of 1998, more than 2,000

property owners in Bedford-Stuyvesant,

each at least three years behind on their

property taxes, gOt a nasty reminder of their

predicament: a letter saying the city would

soon sell their tax debt ro a private collection

agency. If they didn't payo ff their debts, the

clock to foreclosure would start ticking.

Homeowners' panic intensified when the

Daily News published a lengthy list of tax-delin

quent properties-including their homes. Del

uged by their nervous phone calls, local city coun

cilmember Annette Robinson hosted a commu

nity meeting, which drew about 600 people.

"It had put a real scare in a lot of Bed-Stuy

homeowners," remembers Deb Howard, direc

tor of homeowner services with the Pratt Area

Community Council, who was at the meeting.

"There were a lot of senior homeowners there.

A lot of widows there. "City officials tried to calm attendees, assur

ing them that they wouldn't immediately lose

their homes. They had several weeks to pay

back the city so that their tax debt, called a lien,

wouldn't be sold. Even if the lien were sold,

they would still have a year or more to pay back

the collection agency. But i f they couldn't come

up with the cash eventually, officials did warn,

the foreclosure process would begin.

How could these homeowners get cash in

16

time? The vast majority of attendees had built

up a tax debt because their monthly incomes

weren't enough to pay everything. Or they'd

been hit by a financial emergency, like medical

bills. Extra resources to pay thousands of dol

lars in tax debts didn't exist.

The answer, it turned out, was waiting for

them just our the front doors when the meet

ing ended. "Right outside, there must have

been 30 guys with quick-cash flyers waiting,"

remembers Howard. "It was like the sharks sur

rounding the fish."

The men were representatives of mortgage

companies that specialize in loaning money ro

low-income homeowners. Through a dizzying

array of added fees, high interest rates and hid

den payments-practices that add up to the

phenomenon known as predatory lending

many of these brokers profit by taking advantage

of desperate consumers. Homeowners facing thelo ss of their homes through an unyielding

process like tax lien sales are the perfect mark.

T he city began its tax lien sales program

in 1996, as a way to avoid the time-con

suming process of collecting debt and

the expensive route of taking over and running

the properties of owners who just won't, or

can't, pay up. The city now pools together all

the unpaid liens, and sells the debt to a private

trust. The trust's investors don't actually bu

the liens themselves. They buy bonds, whi

are paid back with interest as the debts are co

lected. And "tax liens" doesn't fully describe t

effort's scope; the liens include not only ba

property taxes but unpaid water and sewer bi

as well as charges for emergency sidewalk clea

ing, boiler repair and other city services.

The city and the private co llection agen

have only one mandate-getting the money

soon as possible. They've met that goal: Sin

1996, most liens have been paid off. "The pr

gram's been so successful," says John Chilson, t

managing director of JER Revenue Services, t

collection agency, in a recent interview. "No o

took us seriously at first, but now we can tell th

appreciate the sense of urgency." This innovati

approach-to this day, no other city in the wor

has a program that rivals the size or scope of Ne

York' s -has been a fiscal success, raising mothan $895 rnillion in the past six years.

Bur this huge enterprise has been anythin

but a boon for low-income homeowners. Th

city's new debt collection system treats all pro

erty owners the same-it's pay up, or face

foreclosure auction. As a way out, the eviden

suggests, the poorest property owners ha

sought quick cash.

"You have to ask who's won and who's lost

says Sarah Ludwig, executive director of th

CITY LIMIT



Neighborhood Economic Development Advo

cacy Project. ''A lot of money has been made

through the securitization, but that doesn't

help little old ladies. The city has to examine

the public policy implication for this program

on low-income seniors."Among the 31,000 liens sold, approximate

ly 7,500 come from small homes, each with

one to four families living in them. One of

those occupants is usually the owner. Their

debts usually range from just several thousand

dollars to as much as $25,000. For these thou

sands of homeowners, from Bushwick to

Jamaica to Cypress Hills and beyond, tax lien

sales have provided a shock just like the one

that scared those Bed-Stuy residents.

Homeowner cowlselors in those neighbor

hoods says that increasingly, the fear of tax fore-

closure is driving many of their clients to consid

er increasing their indebtedness, no matter whatthe terms. Already, the number of borrowers

more than three months behind on their Fed

eral Housing Administration mortgages-fed

erally guaranteed loans targeted at middle- and

low-income buyers-rose more than 30 per

cent last year to 10 percent of all mortgages in

New York City, the highest rate in the nation.

Last year, the city also saw a 10 percent jump

in the number of foreclosure proceedings initi

ated. In that light, homeowners' actions in the

face of tax lien troubles concern counselors.

"People are using their home's equity to payoff

their tax debts," observes Herman de Jesus, a

community organizer and homeowner counselorfor the Cypress Hill Development Corporation.

"It's the quickest way to get money, but they're

jeopardizing their homes."

As she counsels homeowners during her work

as an attorney with Legal Services for the Elderly

in Queens, Kim Madden has seen her clients fall

behind on their property taxes for many reasons.

One senior citizen client had been in and out of

the hospital for years, and couldn't pay a $5,000tax lien. Another client was disoriented by

Alzheimer's, and just ignored her tax bills. "These

are seniors who have lived in their homes for 40

or 50 years," observes Madden.

There's another reason, counselors say, thathomeowners can end up behind on their taxes:

They don't know they're supposed to pay them.

That's what happened to Margaret Bailey. The

widow had paid off her mortgage in the early

1990s, and, because most mortgages include

automatic tax payments, she then mistakenly

believed that she didn't need to start payingtaxes. As she stretched her budget thin helping

her grandchildren attend college, the St. Albans

resident ignored tax bills that began to arrive.

DECEMBER 2001

the time she realized she needed to pay, a

hen on her home was sold, in 1998, for about

$22,00? B o y ~ that high interest really got

everything ternbly out of place," says Bailey,

who gives her age as "over 80."

Bailey realized that she needed to get

together the cash or she would lose her home.

During this time, she says several aggressive

lenders approached her: "Some crooked guys

tried to lead me down the primrose path," Bai

ley remembers. "They saw an old lady they

could scam." The senior slammed the door on

the lenders because she knew to avoid predato

ry loans from volunteering with a local com

munity organization. Instead, she decided to

cash some stock she owned: "It was my retire

ment money," she says ruefully. "But I couldn't

lose my home, or I'd be a bag lady. What, am I

going to live in some SRO?"

"It was my

retirement

money," says

homeowner

Margaret Bailey.

"But I couldn't

lose my home,or I'd be a

bag lady."

Any small slip-up in tax payments can

become a big problem quickly. On a modest

two-family house in a poor neighborhood,

property taxes are about $1,200 to $1,500 per

year. But the city's 18 percent imerest, com

pounded daily, causes tax debt to balloon

quickly if unpaid-three years of unpaid

$1,500 tax bills, for example, grow to $6,519.

T he city's first tax lien sales, in 1996, didn't

touch homeowners. Nearly 4,500 liens

were sold, but all were either from apart

ment buildings, commercial properties or vacant

lots. With housing advocates and City Council

members skeptical of these new market-basedtax collection Strategies, city officials were better

off without stories of homeowners being booted.

''They didn't want to put little old ladies out of

their houses," says one knowledgeable observer

of the tax lien sales process. "Who knows i

was good policy or just public relations?"

The city stressed in the early stages of

tax hen sales program that the impact on re

dential properties would be minimal. The cdepartment of Housing Preservation a

Development would develop an "early wa

ing" system to make sure that vulnerable proerties were excluded from the process.

Despite these assurances, 2,356 liens we

sold on one- to four-family homes the follo

ing year. Thousands more would follow in su

sequent years. The city and JER have run eig

tax lien sales, each of which involves hundreof properties, since 1996.

At least two momhs before each sale, t

city compiles a list of those homes with at lea

three years' worth of debt (as opposed to o

year for larger apartment buildings or comme

cial properties) . When the liens are sold, ]ER

multibillion-dollar company specializing

managing ttoubled assets for government an

private industry, takes over debt collection. Th

company is paid through a 5 percent fee addewhen a lien is sold.

]ER first tries to convince a homeowner

pay at least the first six mon ths of interest o

their lien. If there is no payment or effort

set up a short-term installment plan in the fir

six months, the foreclosure process begin

That process lasts anywhere from one year

several, culminating in a court-supervise

property auction.

With that long timeline, the ultimate cosequence of many of the roughly 7,500 lie

sold on homes since 1996 is unknown. B

one thing is certain: Few properties have act

al ly been auctioned, just 24 homes, accordin

to ]ER. On the remainder of the propertie

about 40 percent of the liens had been pa

off as of August of last year, according

numbers compiled by the City Council. Th

remaining 59 percent were classified as "

collection," meaning that either the debt

being paid off, or the foreclosure process

ongoing or may soon begin.

Even when the homeowners are able

make the payments, troubling questioabound. No one knows how many took o

high-interest loans to payoff their liens, or ho

many of the thousands of liens still in colle

tion could ultimately end up in foreclosure.

What is clear is which neighborhoods w

live with the results of the city's initiative.

housing advocates' suspicions are correct, an

the tax lien sales squeeze is pushing homeow

ers to take out predatory loans, the cons

quences cou ld be apparent only yea rs fro

1



now, with a wave of foreclosures in low

income neighborhoods.The Neighborhood Economic Develop

ment Advocacy Project has mapped where

homes have had liens that had entered inro theforeclosure process. "There's an overwhelming

concentration of tax liens in poor minority

neighborhoods, " observes Ludwig. "And

they're the same neighborhoods where we see

predatory loans flourish."

Predatory lending is just the ugly corner

of a huge market in lending to borrow

ers with less-than-perfect credit; what

the industry calls sub prime lending. From

1993 to 1998, the number of sub-prime home

loans grew by 760 percenr, compared with a 38

percent jump in regular home loans. Predatory

loans are sub-prime loans with particularly

high interest rates, hidden fees and unnecessary

charges that maximize ptofits for the lendingcompanies while swelling the loan payments of

the borrower.

Taking out predatory mortgages is often the

death knell for struggling homeowners. The

financial difficulties that led them to sub-prime

loans in the first place do not go away, and the

loan brings unnecessarily high mortgage pay

ments, crippling their budgets. Many mort

gage-ho lders miss paymenrs within JUSt a few

months, leading to the beginning of foreclosure.

18

The mortgage lending industry conrends

that predatory loans are an exaggerated prob

lem, sold only by renegade street-level b r o k e r ~ . That claim was significantly undermined earh

er this year, however, when an assistant branchmanager who worked for Citigroups's sub

prime division for more than five years ~ t l ~ d sworn affidavit in federal court. Gatl Kubllllecs

testimony detailed exactly how her firm sought

to add as many fees as possible to each loan,

regardless of the borrower's ability to pay back:

"I and other employees would often determine

how much insurance could be sold to a bor

rower based on the borrower's occupation, race,

age, and education level. If someone appeared

uneducated, inarticulate, was a minority, or

was particularly old or young, I would try to

include all the coverages CitiFinanciai offered. "

Those salesmen waiting outside the Bed

Stuy information meeting were engaging in the

classic predatory lending marketing technique:identifYing and targeting low-income home

owners who desperately need cash. Advocates

who counsel homeowners with tax liens tell of

numerous other tactics, not just blanketing

homeowners with mailings, phone calls and

aggressive door-to-door sales, but also offers of

premium gifts: Get a free color TV at the clos

ing of your new mortgage!

What makes tax lien sales ripe territory for

unscrupulous lenders is that this little-known

program is actually very public. ~ g r e s s i v elenders already make a habn of tracking pub

lished lists of foreclosures as a source for cus

tomers. Now, they do the same with tax lie

sales. When the city prepares to sell unpaid ta

liens to ]ER, a list of every property owing bac

taxes is published in the Daily News, and sever

al ethnic newspapers, not once, but twice. Tha

list is also downloadable from the city Depar

menr of Finance web site. Once JER initiate

the foreclosure process, the action shows up o

public real estate databases. "At every step i

tax lien sales," concludes Eduardo Canedo

until recently on staff at the Foreclosure Pr

vention Project at South Brooklyn Legal Se

vices, "unscrupulous lenders are informed of

great opportunity to take advantage of hom

owners in financial trouble."

T he inflammatory combination of homowners desperate to raise cash to payo

tax debts and a flourishing industry th

feeds off those fears has seemingly gone unn

ticed by those who run the tax lien sales pr

gram. When questions are raised to th

Department of Finance, which administers t

collection, they respond by pointing proudly

the informational office they've set up, call

[he tax lien sales ombudsman, and their wi

ingness to set up payment plans with indebte

homeowners. However, those mechanism

have proven to be woefully inadequate .

Last yea r, the tax lien ombudsman receiv

28,651 inquiries, 12,279 of which came frosenior citizens. The power of the ombudsman

office, however, is very limited-its main role

to make sure the taxpayer understands th

process. At most, they fix problems on the ra

occasions that a property owner is incorrect

billed. They can set up payment plans, b

those typically cover a year or two, rare

enough time for a cash-poor homeowner

payoff thousands in debt. They can't negotia

how much is owed, or even their interest rate

"Their program doesn't help anyone I'v

ever come across, because my homeowne

can't pay that large a payment," says Stor

Russell, the director of Jamaica HousinImprovement, Inc., which co unsels and hel

organize homeowners and tenants. "I f they d

have that kind of money, they wouldn't ha

fallen behind on their taxes in the first place.

Others have been less than impressed

Finance's ability to provide homeowners wi

the information they need to make soun

fmancial decisions. Madden tells of one despe

ate dienr who owed JER thousands of dollar

and who was on the verge of losing her home

CITY LIMIT



foreclosure. In the several years since the first

lien was sold, she had also accumulated thou

sands more in unpaid tax bills. The woman

went to Finance, which urged her to pay the

new taxbill-presumably

the only debtof

hers listed in the agency's computers. The

woman had a small savings, and she almost

used it to pay the newer debt. Madden was

able to stop her, and convince her to use her

few resources to payoff the older debt, the

JER lien, to avoid foreclosure. She still can't

believe that Finance didn't realize that the

woman was on the verge of losing her home.

"The city didn't even know the other lien had

been sold," says Madden. "She would have

paid a bill and still lost her house. "

Similarly, JER has little in place for home

owners with trouble paying back their debt.

They too tout their informational and payment plans, but, again, there's no negotiating

the amount of debt. OER will do installment

plans for up to three years, but most are short

er.) JER stresses that because it is contractual

ly obligated to the city to collect the debts, it

can't be more flexible. Still, many homeowners

try to negotiate. "They often want to," said

Chilson. "There's a lot of gamesmanship, a lot

of people trying to play the system."Madden says she's found it harder to talk to

JER on behalf of her clients t11an it is to nego

tiate with predatory lenders. "The servicer is

very inflexible," she says. "They really general

ly don't see any point in negotiating. It's hard

for me as an attorney to even know what to say

to them. At least wim predatory lenders,

mey're afraid oflawsuits and bad publicity."

With little flexibility from me debt collec

tors, even small lien amounts can be devastat

ing. Last year, de Jesus with the Cypress Hill

Development Corporation had a visit from a

senior citizen client who had a $6,000 tax lien

mat was about to be so ld to JER. The client

had paid off his mortgage, but lived on only

$200 a monm, so he couldn't afford his tax

bill. "They could have foreclosed on the

$200,000 property to get just $6,000 back,"

remembers de Jesus. "Luckily, we were able to

get him a loan through me Parodneck Foundation," which, wim support from HPD ,

helps bailout certain homeowners.

In theory, the most vulnerable housing

properties aren't even supposed to be in the tax

lien sales program. HPD pays neighborhood

groups to keep track of troubled properties in

their communities, including examining mecondition of buildings mat face tax lien sales,

to help the city decide whether the property

should be pulled out of the lien-sale list. One

DECEMBER 2001

of those groups is Jamaica Housing Improve

ment, Inc. Russell commends the city agency

for the level of sc rutiny they apply to the troubled buildings-"They're very much con

cerned with how we 're rating the properties .

seling, technical assistance and loans. "HP

supposed to develop a treatment plan, burnever seen one," says Russell, whose gr

counsels about 200 distressed homeown

each year. "Sometimes I'm not even sure w

Dangerous Intersection

Brooklyn is a hub for both tax debts and predatory lending, with several neighborhoods filled

mostly with low-income homeowners. When they have trouble making their tax payments,

predatory lenders descend, offering the homeowners quick cash but long-term headaches.

This map shows which neighborhoods- Bed -Stuy, Bushwick and Crown Heights-are the testing grounds for the city's grand tax lien experiment.

• Properties where a ax lien of less than $30,000 caused a foreclosure process to begin .

_ Ne ighborhoods where sub-prime endersmake more han half of all home ref inancing loans.

They are interested in any suggestions we cangive them to make meir program better."

we do the surveys. I have no idea whetherhelps the homeowner. "

However, Russell and participants from

other neighborhood groups are less impressed

wim what HPD does next. The agency claims

mat for excluded properties, it develops a

treatment plan, including homeowner coun-

It may take yea rs to figure out if tax li

sales can be an effective fiscal policy wi

out unnecessarily harming residents

Continued on page

1



g~ W 1 / ; ~ ~ [ t J L " I I D n m ~ ~ ~ ~

CRUMBLE in the BRONXRecovering from a management meltdown, Banana Kelly faces its biggest challenge yet

Winning back the trust of the people it works for. By Robin Le Baron

Fve years ago, Sandra Addison and her three

children moved from a homeless shelter into

991 Union Avenue, a building owned by the

South Bronx community group Banana Kelly.

Addison liked her new home, with its spacious

living room and wood floors, and she painted the

walls with eggshell blue trim. She attended ten

ant meetings, and, with encouragement fromBanana Kelly staff, became a tenant leader, advo

cating for her neighbors and her building.

She had some very good experiences with

Banana Kelly. A counselor helped talk her

through a difficult period of her life. Another

worker organized parties and field trips for

children. At Christmas, she and her neighbors

competed with families on other floors to see

who could create the best-decorated hallway.

And yet, sitting at her dining room rabie,

20

Addison frowns as she talks about her experi

ence. She's had an intermittently functioning

boiler, a bedroom too cold for sleep in the win

ter, and her neighbors' stoves and fridges stood

broken for months. During a rainstorm , she

and the super deployed six garbage cans under

huge roof leaks in a vacant apartment ro keep

the water from pouring through the floor andonto the tenants living below. "You have an

apartment with half the ceiling falling down

and fungus growing on the walls," she recalls.

But it wasn't only the conditions in the build

ing that made her skeptical about the group that

owned it. She says that after working with

Banana Kelly for several years, she began to feel

they would start programs and make promises

that were never delivered, like opening commu

nity spaces and a laundry room in her building.

Eventually, she came to distrust their intention

"1 used to go to bat for Banana Kelly," sh

says. "I would have put my life on the line. B

now .." She falls silent. Although another com

munity group has assumed management respon

sibilities for her building, Addison says she

worried by the fact that Banana Kelly is still i

owner. Inspired by a cooperatively run buildinon the block, she says that she and some of h

neighbors are now trying to find some way t

rake over the building and run it themselves .

Addison is one of hundreds of residen

who have worked with Banana Kel

through the past 20 years to help them

selves and rebuild their Bronx neighborhood

Longwood. Formed by residents determined t

save their block from arson and abandonmen

CITY LIMIT



Banana Kelly came to symbolize the power of

ordinary people, with little but a collective

vision, to take control of their surtoundings and

remake them. Foundations and governmentsfrom around the world have praised the group

for its successes-not just in developing housing

and providing social services, but for bringing

residents together to rebuild a devastated area.

"We wanted to be owners. We wanted the

people always to have a say in what happened

in their buildings and what they did with their

lives and what happened in their community,"

says former executive director Yolanda Rivera,

who remains chair of the board. "I think the

organization has always kept to that vision."

Over the past few years, however, things have

gone seriously wrong for Banana Kelly. Its mar

quee economic development project-a paperrecycling mill projected to create hundreds of

jobs-fell apart. Key staff were fired amid a bit

ter public dispute and allegations of mismanage

ment. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in

unpaid property taxes and debts to vendors

attracted intense public scrutiny, including

inquiries by the FBI and the state attorney gen

eral. Early this year the Local Initiatives Support

Coporation (LISC), citing serious management

problems, assumed control of 14 buildings that

it had helped Banana Kelly develop.

The group is taking energetic steps to right

itself. This past March, it voluntarily transferred

responsibilities for running its remaining buildings to the South East Bronx Community Orga

nization (SEBCO) , a neighboring nonprofit

agency, which has agreed to manage them for a

five-year period. Now, it is attempting to trans

fer much of its energy to social services and

related programs. This October, it got $500,000

from the Department of Housing and Urban

Development for a program to train youth in

construction skills. "People in general want us to

survive and want us to win," says Rivera. She

says that over the past year, Banana Kelly has

been reaching out and talking with residents of

the neighborhood about the direction they

would like to see the organization take.But residents' reactions to recent events

appear more complicated. Many are grateful

for the housing and services, but they also voice

the sortS of concerns raised by Sandra Addison.

They say that they feel that Banana Kelly has

betrayed its trust with the community. "I start

ed out believing, and I became disillusioned,"

says Tina Graves, a resident of Banana Kelly's

building at 1297 Hoe Avenue, who worked in

the organization's property management divi

sion for about five years during the mid 1990s.

DECEMBER2001

"A lot of promises were made to the communi

ty, and none of them were ever delivered. "

"Banana Kelly doesn't represent us ," says

Ricky Flores, who lived at 788 Fox Street whenthe organization began working with his build

ing two decades ago. "I honestly don't know of

anyone who has a good word for them ."

But more than anything, it was housing con

ditions that drove a wedge between Banana Kelly

and local residents. After years of watching their

buildings deteriorate, many residents say they

distrust the group and its motives. Marta Rivera,

who lives in a Banana Kelly-owned building on

Home Street, says that water comes through the

walls of her building when it rains. 'There is a

huge roof leak and the walls of the stairwells are

crumbling, " she says. When contractors installed

her windows during a renovation, they left a holethat she could stick her hand through.

At 750 Bryant Avenue, anger at Banana

Anger reached such

a pitch that residents

flung eggs

at a property

manager's carwhen she visited.

Kelly reached such a pitch that the residents

flung eggs at the property manager's car when

she visited the building-and this was a man

ager whom tenants say they personally liked.

As Banana Kelly rebuilds, it now also faces the

challenge of reconstructing relations with com

munity residents. It may have a task ahead of it

every bit as challenging as its original effort to

reclaim the neighborhood. "Yolanda Rivera says:

'It's a new era, you're going to have to give me achance.' But Banana Kelly has been in transition

for a decade," says Marta Rivera. "You mention

Banana Kelly and people want to kill you."

Bnana Kelly was born during the late 1970s,

in the crucible of the South Bronx. Arson

and abandonment had laid waste to vast

swaths of the borough, and was still consuming

new buildings daily. By 1980, two-thUds of the

people who had been living in the Longwood area

a decade earlier had fled. Those who remained

struggled in a wne where the city governm

had effectively ceased providing services.

It soon became clear that if anything wa

be done they would have to do it themselvehandful of local residents and one commi

outsider started discussing ways to fight

destruction. Inspired by the efforts of a nea

sweat equity project, they decided to tr y to

their block of Kelly Street. They began

clearing a vegetable garden on a vacant lot.

draw in the community and build supp

they held block parties and other social eve

''At that time, Banana Kelly and the neighb

hood were one," recalls Felicia Colon, w

joined in the spring of 1978 as a bookkee

and remained with the organization for alm

13 years. "Our first Thanksgiving we had a

dinner. People of the neighborhood came aeverybody cooked something."

During these years, Banana Kelly was c

trolled by the community simply because alm

no one else was involved. The organization

on volunteer and minimally paid labor, und

taking only projects that those people-alm

all local residents-wanted to see accomplish

Their flfst major ambition was to rescue th

abandoned buildings on Kelly Street. Memb

poured their own labor into the project, hop

to eventually take title to the buildings and live

the apartments they were fixing as cooperat

owners. "It was like now with the World Tr

Center disaster--everyone was pitching in," sPearl White, who moved into one when th

were finished. ''At the end of the day we'd hav

potluck dinner and we'd all sit down togethe

the middle of the floor. It was lovable."

But after just a few years, the early spirit

cooperation began to succumb to other pr

sures. As it became clear that the effort to

cue the three abandoned buildings was s

ceeding, Banana Kelly gained public attenti

new support and more resources. Flush w

success, the fledgling organization tackled n

projects as fast as it could in a headlong rush

preserve and revive the neighborhood. It beg

fixing other buildings, spearheaded a driveconvert a large stretch of rubble into a pa

trained local youth in construction skills a

took on many other smaller tasks.

These myriad projects left Banana Kelly r

tively little time to carry out large-scale comm

nity organizing efforts or incorporate reside

into the organization in a systematic w

Instead, as the group took on increasingly co

plex endeavors, it became more hierarchical a

professional , relying more on paid staff and

on volunteer support. Within just five ye



"our organizers had become our managers; our

vo lunteers had become our employees; our

members had become our clients," Harold

DeRienzo, the oganization's first executive direc

tor, later concluded in a City Limits op-ed piece.Under the leadership of its next director,

Getz Obstfeld, Banana Kelly grew to be one of

New York's preeminent community developers,

rehabilitating city-owned buildings, and later

redeveloping vacant buildings with federal hous

ing tax credit funds. By the end of the 1980s,

Banana Kelly had helped rehabilitate over 25

buildings, artracted services, including the first

new health clinic in decades, and provided sup

port and encouragement to hundreds of proper

ty owners, local employers and residents.

Colon and other staff believe the group

retained strong resident backing. "I would say 90

percent of the people supported Banana Kelly,"she says. Many locals who remember the organi

zation from a decade ago echo this sentiment.

"We liked Getz. He was on the money-he

worked with you," recalls Helen Linton, a tenant

at 850 Southern Boulevard who, with Banana

Kelly's help, turned her building into a co-op.

Much of the neighborhood support was nurtured by the group's organizing staff. "We

attempted to merge organizing and development

work," Obstfeld recalls. "We chose small projects

with big impacts." During the late 1980s,

Banana Kelly spearheaded a campaign against

the Transit Authority's plan to close the Intervale

Avenue train station.It

cleaned up some of theworst drug buildings in the neighborhood.

Others, however, felt that organizing was

already being subordinated to development.

"Banana Kelly's model was, 'Don't move,

improve,'" says New York ACORN executive

director Bertha Lewis, who worked at Banana

Kelly as an organizer during Obstfeld's years.

"It was to teach people to control their neigh

borhood. But the next thing, Banana Kelly was

holding the bag. More and more, Banana Kelly

became a sponsor. There were less and less

actions, and more and more development."

Over time, serious tensions developed. Obst

feld, like DeRienzo, was a white man ftom out

side the Bronx, and some people active in the

organization felt this was inappropriate. By late

1991, Obstfeld resigned-under pressure, many

observers believe, from the board of directors.Yolanda Rivera, chair of the board, took over

as executive director. Rivera had grown up in the

South Bronx and had years of experience as a

tenant advocate and housing administrator. She

assumed control of Banana Kelly's day-to-day

operations with the intent of returning the orga

nization to its community roots.

22

Rvera inherited not only the r e s ~ o n s i b i l i -ties of a large landlord, but fairly new

commitments as a social service provider.

During the late 1980s, with homelessness on

the rise through the city, Banana Kelly agreedto provide housing for a number of families

who had gone through the city's shelter system.

The new residents were very poor, and had no

ties to the neighborhood or longstanding loyal

ty to Banana Kelly. Some had serious substance

abuse problems. Integrating them into the

neighborhood was a formidable task.

Recognizing the potential problems, the

city and other funders began to offer Banana

Kelly and other community groups more

money for social programs-for Banana Kelly,

at least $6 million from the city alone starting

in 1991. By the time Rivera assumed control of

the agency that year, Banana Kelly had begunto develop a range of programs-in early child

hood education, drug counseling, immuniza

tion, assistance to families with developmental

ly disturbed children, and more.

More recently, about 60 tenants have been

receiving rent subsidies and counseling

through a federal program that helps them get

on their feet after periods of incarceration,

homelessness or substance abuse. After years

of struggling with drug addiction , domestic

violence, and homelessness, Luz Acevedo was

able to secure an apartment and rental sub

sidy. Says Acevedo, sitting on trim a red couch

in her sparkling apartment, "Banana Kellysaved my life."

Rivera chose to hire local residents who

could work with their neighbors as peers. The

strategy paid off-some staff forged close con

nections with residents. Banana Kelly 's commu

nity workers spent hours at tenants' kitchen

tables, charting and laughing, but also helping

with a range of serious issues-how to navigate

the city's welfare bureaucracy, where to find

help going to school, how to recover children

temporarily removed from their care, and so on.

"Wonderful things came out of Banana

Kelly, " says Mavelin Morales, a former director

of Banana Kelly's social service department,

who was responsible for developing several of

the agency's programs. "The agency was giving

to the community at a certain point. The peo

ple received case management, they received

support groups, they received recreationalactivities. There was child development, leader

ship training, housing." Hiring residents was a

contribution in its own right. "People from the

community were able to get jobs," Morales

says . "Banana Kelly did wonderful trainingsand sent the staff to get training. There was an

opportuni ty for community residents to gro

There's no question social services h

helped build ties between the organization a

local res idents. But by themselves, these eff

were not enough to make residents empowe

partners in rebuilding a neighborhood, or to g

them active influence within the organization

The steady dissolution of the ten

involvement that had been the organizatio

hallmark might have been reversed throu

efforts aimed at helping residents develop a c

lective voice. In the early 1990s, organizer C

los Permell received Rivera's go-ahead to

exactly that. His plan was to develop a ten

consortium that could act as a channel of co

munication between the organization and t

ants. Although he had first learned to organ

with the Industrial Areas Foundation, wh

taught him the confrontational tactics popu

ized by Saul Alinsky, Permell attempted a d

CITY LIMI



and its tenants are

still standing despitetorrents of leaks and

intermittent heat.

ferent approach mis time. Permell says that he

wanted the consorrium ro work as a forum

where tenants and Banana Kelly could work

our problems rogemer and cooperate on pro

jects of imporrance ro me entire neighborhood.

"I t was not just about challenging management

but being me eyes and ears of me community,"

Permell says. "We had a few meetings and it

was going great-building contacts, talkingabout what's happening in the community."

But after several meetings, Banana Kelly

management backed away from me project.

Permell remembers Rivera and omer leaders

walking out of a meeting after being criticized

by residents over building conditions. After

mat, the consorrium project was shelved.

Over me following years, staff periodically

attempted ro build omer tenant associations.

But mese efforts never succeeded for long.

Banana Kelly leadership could never decide

DECEMBER 2001

whemer or how me associations should deal

with the maintenance problems mat were,

increasingly, tenants' central concern.

One place where residents might have

had a meaningful voice in Banana Kelly

was through its board of direcrors-a

mix of local residents and outside, usually pro

fessional, supporrers. But conversations withresidents of Banana Kelly-run buildings indicat

ed that many, probably most, had no knowl

edge abour me agency's board of direcrors. "I

never heard anyrhing about me board, never,"

one says emphatically. "I f1 had known, I would

have tried ro go ro see, because I as a person

would want ro know about what's going on."

Rivera says mat ro mis day, me board has

always remained strong and active. For meir

part, however, many board members, observers,

and former Staff say mat mey memselves had

little power or influence over the organizat

Pearl White, on me board from Obstf

days until very recently, says me changes

unmistakable. "When Getz was mere,"

White, "There were fmancial reports and bup for what was going on in me buildings.

talked about what was needed, and where

were." After Rivera assumed control, a

White, meetings became much less informat

and board comrnitrees were virtually inactiv

Omer board members voiced similar o

ions. "Nothing got done at mese so-called 'm

ings,' recalls one former member who reque

anonymity. "Noming ever got discussed. "

Julie Levine, who served as a board mem

for about half a year in me mid 1990s, resig

when asked ro vote for proposals ro incr

Rivera's salary and pay her taxes. She says

received the strong impression mat me bowas serving as a rubber stamp. Levine says

experience on me board radically changed

opinions about Banana Kelly. "When meyas

me ro be a board member I said I'd be honore

she says. "I really bought into all of it. " Bu

me time she resigned, she wanted noming m

ro do wim me organization. "Banana K

should not be a legend," she concludes.

The decline of organizing efforts and

board effectively weakened most local reside

voice within me agency. If Banana Kelly

been running trouble-free operations, m

might not have matrered. But instead, reside

lost influence at a time when me groupexperiencing increasingly serious troubles.

Bme mid 1990s, Banana Kelly was m

aging 41 properties scattered mrough

Longwood and Hunts Point-afforda

and in some cases very decent accommodati

for about a mousand households. But by me

was clear mat some buildings were experienc

serious maintenance problems. Tenants reco

a litany of horrors: recurrent leaks, buck

floors, boilers down for days or weeks du

me winter, public lights shut off and drug t

ficking. And mey agree mat it was extrem

difficult ro get Banana Kelly ro make repairs"We had a persistent leak where the to

was," recalls Flores, me former Fox Street t

ant. "I t was on and off for years. They wo

just make spot repairs, and mat was only if

continued ro call and complain. And the flo

were all warped because of water damage. T

was a typical experience there."

Anomer resident says mat me elevaror in

building would stay broken for weeks a

t ime-a great difficulty for me disabled peo

continued on Page



Hedge CityBy Keith Kloor

WHEN TRAGEDY STRUCK the World Trade Cen

ter on September 11, elected officials, policy

makers and editorialists rallied for the rebuild

ing of Manhattan's financial district, urging as

one that Wall Street must be revived as the

engine ofNew York City's economy. "Anybody

who understands how integral financial ser

vices is to New York, anyone who understands

the way markets operate," said Public Advo

cate Mark Green before the Democratic may

oral runoff, "should know that you don't break

up Wall Street."

On September 10, however, Green and oth

ers-includingmany prominent business leaders-were singing a far different rune. Reduc

ing the city's dependence on Wall Street, they

warned, was essential to its long-term fiscal

health. In fact, it was the very capriciousness of

the stock market, with its boom and bust

cycles, that had municipal and real estate lead

ers alike cautioning in recent years to make itless "integral" to the city's fortunes.

To this end, it was only last June that the

Group of 35, an influential real estate and

business task force convened by Senator Chuck

Schumer, unveiled a carefully crafted blueprint

24

INTELLIGENCE

THE BIG IDEA

to create alternative business centers in Brook

lyn, Long Island City and midtown Manhat

tan's west side. And in 1999, Green was tout

ing his detailed 62-page plan to develop down

town Brooklyn as the metropolitan region's

third-largest central business district by 2015.So where does Green the Brooklyn-booster

stand today?When Ferrer proposed, during the

runoff campaign, to rebuild some of the office

space in other boroughs, Green assailed it as

"wrong and nalve."

Ferrer said only that "while Lower Manhat

tan must be rebuilt to have a critical mass of

finance and related industries, this is an oppor

tunity to pursue much-needed development

opportunities in the city outside Lower Man

hattan, including the other four boroughs."

But in the highly charged post-attack politi

cal climate, as Ferrer learned, it became verboten

to actually talk about steering displaced businesses to the outer boroughs. Somehow a con

sensus emerged--cutting across all political and

ideological boundaries-that Ferrer, as one

Daily News editorial put it, "would spread

downtown to other parts of the city . . . which

would evaporate the wealth, not spread it."

There's no disputing the economic fallout

from the WTC disaster, with the city facing a

potential loss of $100 billion and 100,000 jobs.

Wall Street alone accounts for 20 percent of the

city's total wages, according to the Fiscal Policy

Institute. "If we don't retain these jobs and the

tax revenue that comes from them," sa

Michael Schill, professor of law and urban po

cy at New York University, "the city w

encounter significant problems in the future. "

But when the reports by Green and t

Group of35 were unfurled, neither was billed

perceived as a means to "decentralize" W

Street-the charge that Green relentlessly h

Ferrer with during the Democratic mayor

runoff. Rather, they were meant to keep the c

from losing those vety same jobs. In recent yea

many Manhattan businesses have been fleeing

Jersey City and outlying suburbs, in search

larger office space and cheaper operating cos

All the big financial firms-such as Americ

Express, Morgan Stanley, and Chase-h

begun moving thousands of their workers out

the city well before September 11. To stem th

loss, Senator Schumer formed the Group of 3

and charged them with addressing New Yo

City's office shortage. Green's earlier study to

up the same concerns and focused on dow

town Brooklyn as a solution.

But that was a different rime and a differe

Mark Green. "I think it's fair to say that t

world changed on September 11," says Jerem

Ben-Ami, a Green spokesperson, "and that o

plans and strategies are now evolving to fit t

new reality."

SINCE THE FIRST WEEK of the World Tra

Center disaster, firms have been scramblingfind space in New Jersey, Long Islan

Westchester and elsewhere. While it's hard

tell where everyone will be once the cleanup

finished, a few facts had emerged by l

October. An October 22 analysis of long-te

leases taken by firms whose buildings w

damaged found that only 24 percent of t

total square footage was relocated to dow

town Manhattan; 26 percent was in Midtow

(most took space their companies alrea

leased or owned); and 25 percent of the to

square footage was either temporarily or p

manently rented in New Jersey, according

the real estate broker Tenanrwise.

Both Brooklyn and Queens captured

share of displaced businesses, but only a fe

says Tenanrwise CEO M. Myers Mermel. N

ther borough, to Mermel's knowledge, h

captured a single long-term tenant. "We

absorbing everything we can, but there 's a fu

damental difference berween us and Jers

City," says Kenneth Adams, president of t

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, alluding

the top-of-the-line office space that is mo

readily available across the Hudson.

A few firms haven't shied away from te

CITY LIMIT



porarily relocating to the boroughs. MetLife

started moving 962 Manhattan workers to

Queens a few weeks after September 11. But

MetLife was already working in Long IslandCity; the firm's plan to move anoth er 1,000

workers th ere in 2004 was in the works long

before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade

Center. And compared to Brooklyn, Queens

In the

highly charged

post-attack

political climate ,as Ferrer

learned, it

became verboten

to talk about

steeringbusinesses

to the

outer boroughs.

was much better positioned and even more

open about courting displaced firms: Two days

after the destruction of the twin towers, the

official website of the Queens borough presi

dent, realtor-friendly Claire Shulman, wasposting an extensive list of Queens realtors for

businesses in need of immediate space, provid

ing contact information and the square-footage

available. "Our feeling is Long Island City is a

very good place to set up shop," MetLife

spokesman John Calagna told Newsday . "It's

convenient to public transportation and it 's in

New York City."

But while it may not have the political mus

cle or sheer square footage of Queens, down

town Brooklyn is an especially promising loca

tion, for reasons that Green himself outlined in

DECEMBER 2001

his report. It's got a major anchor in the

MetroTech offi ce complex, rich academic and

cultural institutions, vibrant surrounding resi

dential communities, a burgeoning commercial district and an excellent transportation hub

lin.king it in minutes to Wall Street.

That transit connection is Brooklyn's

biggest asset. It's also one the city could use to

keep jobs in th e metropolitan area: When the

Tri-State Transportati on Campaign cross- ref

erenced moving patterns of displaced firms

with transportation data, they found that

most firms had elected to move to "transit

connected" areas in New Jersey rather than

closer but less accessible locations like Long

Island and Connecticut. "Most employers,"

the campaign concluded, "credited the city's

remain.ing ferry and rail links to Manhattan aslarge factors in their decisions to locate offices

[in Jersey City]."

As workers continue their diaspora out of

Manhattan, now would seem the right time to

invest in public transportation, redevelop

ment initiatives and office space construction

in those expanded business districts the

Group of 35 proposes-including Brooklyn.

"You need to rebuild lower Manhattan," says

Eric Deutsch, executive director of the Group

of 35, "and still make the rest of the city a

viable market. "

But with emotions still raw and Washing

ton holding all the purse strings, nobody daressuggest that federal relief aid be funneled

towards economic growth in the outer bor

oughs. For the most part, officials across the

city are presenting a united front. Adams

thinks he knows why: "It's in the city's interest

to get the most federal aid for lower Manhat

tan," he says. "It's a much harder sell for the

other boroughs. And quite frankly, I don't

expect a congressman from Arkansas or Iowa to

understand the needs of downtown Brooklyn."

Thus, Brooklyn civic groups and municipal

officials are lying low these days, Adams says.

Nobody wants to rock the boat when the seas are

so choppy and unpredictable. "My impression isthat Brooklyn leaders are holding their tongues,"

he says. "It's too soon after the tragedy."

Eventually, Adams says, it will be appro

priate to push openly for alternative business

districts in the boroughs. "Our attitude is for

the city to get the money first, " he says , "and

then we ' ll step it up a notch or two. Brookl yn

will ultimately play a role in the rebuilding of

New York." •

Keith Kloor 1S a senior editor for Audubon

magazine.

INTELLIGENCE

THE BIG IDEA

NEW REPORTS

When Congress passed the Workforce Investment Act in 1998, it envisioned a completely

overhauled employee development system ,

culminating in dozens of streamlined "one-

stop " centers. It hasn 't quite worked out-

particularly in New York City, months behind

on its WIA deadlines, with only a single one-

stop in Jamaica and over $100 million in fed

eral funds unspent. This thorough and careful

report details why: lack of inter-agency cooper-

ation, impossible-to-meet performance mea-

sures and little private sector integration."Workforce Investment Act:

Better Guidance Needed to AddressConcerns over New Requirements "

General Accounting Office Available on

web: www.gao.govor 202-512-4800

It's pretty well known that about 40 million

Americans don 't have health insurance, that

the uninsured don 't receive very good health

care,and that most of the uninsured come from

working families . But this report 's strength is

how well it states the obvious: Rarely have those

facts and many others about the nation 'shealth

care crisis been so rigorously assembled, by a

NAS committee of respected academics.This is

the first part of six studies on health care

upcoming in the next two years-they're sure to

form the base of future campaigns urging

national health care coverage.

"Coverage Matters: Insurance and HeaJ/hCare"

NatXmIAcaJerrrtof heSciences

Available on web: www.nap.edu or 888-624-8373

Fnally, some accessible Census 2000 infor

mation on the Internet! If you've braved the

government's baffling census web site, this

easy-to-use accumulation of data, focusing

particularly on children, is awelcome alterna

tive. For New York City, there 's a wealth ofnumbers that can be downloaded , viewed as

charts, or compared to other cities. For exam-

ple, who would have guessed that diverse NYC

ranks 104th of 242 cities nationwide in the

number of children identified as belonging to

more than one race?

"I(jds Count: Census Oata Online"

The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Available only on web:

httpJ/www.aecf.orglkidscount!census!

2



INTELLIGENCE

CITY LIT

The Power Mediocre

By Michael Hirsch

The Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and His Struggle to Save New York

by Vincent J. Cannato

Basic Books, 2001. 579 pages. $35.

IF 1960s POLITICS WERE A CATACLYSM, New

York City was the epicenter. A biography of

John Lindsay, the city's youthful photogenic lib

eral Republican mayor could tell a lot about the

juncture of city government and social move

ments in hard-or at least interesting-times.

But Vincent J. Cannato's The UngovernableCity: John Lindsay andHis Struggle to Save New

York is not about Lindsay, and even less about

cities. It's more an ideological hit on modern

liberalism, using our sainted incumbent mayor

as a template to judge another man and anoth

er time. By ignoring Lindsay and his era to

score political points, Cannato fails to shed any

light on our own. Despite its nearly 600-page

girth, Cannato's anecdotally rich but analytical

ly mendicant book offers little evidence of what

exactly Lindsay did wrong, as opposed to what

went wrong.

Commitment is

And yes, a lot went wrong. From a crip

pling transit strike the day he took office

and divisive battles over community con

trol of schools and scatter-site housing, to

a paralyzing snow storm, skirmishes with

former patron Nelson Rockefeller, and a

failed civilian-dominated police reviewboard he had stumped hard for, Lindsay

became a magnet for urban dissatisfaction,

and a symbol for the ills of a nation

especially its cities.

Yet it is never clear what narrative Can

nato is telling. In Cannato's world, context

is nothing: There are no failed federal hous

ing or lending programs, no police vio

lence, no intractable segregation, and no Nixon

era counter-intelligence efforts to subvert and

marginalize dissidents. The possibility that the

grinding and seemingly endless Vietnam War

had any economic or psychic impact on city po

icy or popular behavior doesn't seem to ha

occurred to him; likewise, he ignores the shift

national priorities from butter to guns, blithe

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unaware of its impact on jobs, patronage or

declining revenues--exactly the terrain in which

the decade's internecine community-based eth

nic battles over schools and housing were fought.

CannatO sees no structural social, economic orpolitical problems here-just friction generated

by frenetic white radicals, self-loathing liberals,

and an extortionist black underclass with an

effete WASP idealist at the helm.

Cannato insists that Brownsville, the site of

the ferocious 1968 battle over public school

decentralization , with its deplorable lack of san

itation and other basic city services, was ripe for

rebellion, not a school-governance revolution.

But why were conditions so bad? Why did

Lindsay and his predecessors let them fester? It 's

a fair question, but CannatO does not raise it.

Yet while trivializing the real agony of low

income people of color, he accepts as well-founded the white ethnic whining that ptOduced such

abominations as the Society

for the Prevention of

centers, of which Lindsay was poised to be

spokesperson and advocate, were not growing.

"The United States was not an urban nation, "

he blithely asserts, "bur rather one of suburbs

and small towns"--glossing over the sizable

growth in metropolitan areas and the increas

ing need for regional planning. He calls the

Lindsay-authored Kerner Report on causes of

domestic disorder, commissioned by LBJ,

"alarmist" fot predicting predominantly black,

impoverished center cities. And he ignores the

equally alarming growth in census tract segre

gation-amply illustrated by Douglas Massey

and Nancy Denton in American Apartheid·

Segregation and the Making of the Underclass,

among others.

Even the role of he finance, insurance and real

estate sectOr-which would play the dominant

role in the city's fiscal crisis of the next decadedoesn't figure until almost the end of the book

Even then, it's only

Negroes Getting Everything

(SPONGE, get it?). He even

slams Jimmy Breslin and

others sympathetic to com

munity control as having no

empathy for their lower

middle-class white brethren.

A slur by an opponent of

integrated housing at a

Queens community meet

ing-that progressive, secular Jews, including Lindsay

aide and community liaison

Barry Gottehrer, were "not

Sure, this is ahard read for

mentioned for com

parison, as an employ

er whose workforce

contracted after

1969-in contrast to

the conservative bug

bear of a growing city

public sectOr.

.progressives ,

but not because it

lands any punches.

Sure, this is a hard

read for progressives,

but not because it

lands any punches.Certainly a legitimate

case can be made

real Jews"-is accepted by CannatO as legitimate.

For CannatO, the problems are all politics, pos

turing and gutlessness-with black militants

allowed to run riot by Lindsay, while Italians,

Irish, Jews and other ourer-borough ethnics were

shortchanged on city services because they had

no paladin in City Hall. Nothing is that simple,

but Cannato's schema is no more complex.

On the macro level, the book is weakest

where it should be strongest: in understanding

cities and urban policy. Aside from a too-quick(and too-accepting) summary of the Gov.

Rockefeller-impaneled Scott Commission

report, which slammed the mayor and his

administrative skills, CannatO gives little atten

tion to how Lindsay's agencies actually worked.

Was it a good thing that super-agencies such as

the Human Resources Administration and the

Heal th and Hospitals Corpo ration were consol

idated? What long-term plans did the city

develop? What ideas were shot down?

Cannato even suggests that Lindsay's munic

ipal rescue mission was doomed because urban

DECEMBER 2001

against the hubris of

storming heaven on the back of government,

but CannatO doesn't make it. The self-satisfied

tOne would not be so irksome if there were a

larger theory that the book elaborated, a big idea

that helped move the discussion of the future of

cities. Bur there isn't. After nearly 600 pages, we

still do not know what Lindsay could realistical

ly have done differently. The book's coda, "He

failed to live up to the promise of his early years

and meet his own standards for reforming the

city," can be said about any municipal pol. Byfailing to go beyond his own narrow sensibilities,

Canna o writes less a histOry than a morality

play--one in which everything is asserted, and

nothing need be proven.

Here, if you offer up enough red meat

including an overblown chapter on the Co lum

bia University uprising and how its "v irus of

rebellion spread to other city campuses"-Lind

say and a generation of urban reformers can be

caricatured rather than understood. A solid

book on Lindsay, the 1960s and urban politics

would be a valuable read. This isn't it. •

INTELLIGENC

CITY LI

NOW READ THIS

New Immigrants in New YorkEdited by Nancy Foner

Columbia Unversity Press, $22.00.Why are Soviet Jews the immigrant group leas

likely to visit their home country? Why do Korean

immigrants belong to more ethnic organizations

than others? This wide-ranging book, an update

of one published in 1987, looks at migration to the

five boroughs since 1960.Seven scholarly articles

focus on specific immigrant groups,while the first

two, chock-full of useful data, focus broadly on

immigration and labor trends for all groups .

Three Strikes: Miners, Musicians,

Salesgirls and the Fighting Spirit

of labor's last Century

ByHoward Zinn, Dana Fankand

RobinD.G. Kelley, Beacon Pess, $23 .00

Inthe 1930s, new sound technologies threatend

the livelihood of the 26,000 musicians who had

provided live soundtracks to silent films in the

US. Chanting "Bring back flesh ," members of the

American Federation of Musicians picketed film

theaters in New York City in 1936.They failed, but

Kelley spins the musicians' struggle into an

engaging story with clear implications for anyone

whose job is threatened by technological innova

tion.The other two-thirds of this trio are well-told

tales of aColorado coal mine strike (linn) and a

sit-in at aWoolworth 's n Detroit (Frank).

ThickerThan Blood: How Racial Statistics lie

By Tukuu Zuber i, University of Minnesota

Press, $24.95

What we call race has everything to do with cul

ture and politics, and little to do with biology. Yetit is still widely treated as scientific fact: Hispan

ic SAT scores drop! Tracing the roots of statistical

analysis to the eugenics movement, sociologist

luberi reminds us how crude the common cate

gories are--Chilean immigrants are "white," but

coastal Hondurans "black." luberi 's book,

though academically dense, forcefully argues

that social sciences and public policy are built on

a racist foundation .

2



INTELLIGENCE

MAKING CHANGE

Unfinished

Business

By Alyssa Katz

NOT LONG AGO, THE WOMEN'S Housing and

Economic Development Organization

(WHEDCO) was one of those social service

organizations whose every step appeared to be

a giant leap forward. Founded in 1991, it runs

a host of programs to promote economic

empowerment for poor people, particularly

single mothers. Its culinary arts program put

former welfare recipients to work in WHED

CO's catering business, the Urban Horizons

Food Company, and starred in a glowing profile in Mother Jones magazine this summer.

But like virtually every business in New York

City, WHEDCO got a whack in the gut following September's attack on the World Trade

Center. The only physical damage was at its

Bronx complex, where phones were knocked

out for more than a month. But new traineesdidn't arrive for weeks, because the city's welfare

computers were down; for WHEDCO, which

gets paid per head, this meant no new business.

The restaurant and hospitality industry-the

prime source of employment for its graduates

suffered enormous plunges in business, and an

immediate surge in layoffs.

The worst was yet to come. In the weeks fol-

28

lowing, catering clients of WHEDCO's Urban

Horizons Food Company cancelled major

orders-a vital cash source for the organization's

other operations. With no guaranteed revenue,

Urban Horizons had to shut down. "So my

heart doesn't break, I'm calling it 'retrench

ment,'" says Executive Director Nancy Biber

man. Now, the only work experience food ser

vice trainees get is vending lunches in a takeoutkiosk at WHEDCO's Bronx complex.

The catering income-a projected $180,000

for this fall alone-was so vital because WHED

CO's financial troubles did not begin on Sep

tember 11. In previous years, Biberman says, she

could count on gradually escalating support

from private foundations. But this year the

group's grant income actually declined, in con

junction with a 19 percent drop in the stock

market. Two of WHEDCO's funders backed

out aI together.And like many other organizations around

the city that train the unemployed and under

employed to work, WHEDCO has found itselfon the losing end of a new municipally funded

scheme that doesn't pays the group until it suc

cessfully places a client in a job-and doesn't

pay it adequately until that worker had held a

job for six months or more [see ''The GreatTraining Robbery, " May 2001]. Already, with

the faltering economy, trainers had started to

see clients coming back to them, laid off from

their new jobs not long after they were hired.

The catering revenue made up for WHED

CO's losses in its city job training subcontracts.

The organization's only other hope had been its

ongoing effott co lobby Albany legislators for som

supplemental cash.By October, WHEDCO had laid off eigh

staffers, including some former welfare recipents who had risen up through its training pro

grams. "We knew in December [2000] th

this was going to be a horrific year for us ," say

Biberman. "I don't know how many whammie

there are," she says. "We got them all. "

IN THIS GRIM SEASON, few groups can cou

themselves whammy-free. Nonprofits are in

precarious position, and some, it's now wide

acknowledged, will not survive for much longe

This is no mere spate of bad luck. Social se

vice organizations are much like badly treate

children: They are sustained by two parmers

a combative marriage, and money is at the roof the conflict. Through an unwritten agre

ment, government and private charity split t

responsibility for sustaining the social safe

net. It's an arrangement that allows elected of

cials to address profound needs even thoug

they consider it politically dangerous-and p

vate donors are perfectly happy to take the t

breaks that ensure their participation.

Not incidentally, the deal also keeps an enti

sector of the economy going. According to t

Department of Labor, 29,899 non profits in t

state employ 2,171,509 people. In the city, nea

ly a million people work for nonprofits.

Combined, New York City and state spe$7.7 billion to employ nonprofits (and some fo

profit companies) to carry out an entire realm

government work-in foster care agencies, sett

ment houses, hospices, senior centers and tho

sands of other enterprises that make up wha

known technocratically as human services. Mo

elegantly, they're the hands that help hold up t

city, the extra legs that keep it running.

It's no secret that public funding isn't near

enough to keep those organizations in busine

Private money-from traditional charities, ind

vidual donors, fees for services, and, increasin

ly, business enterprises like WHEDCO 's - is t

lifeblood that keeps their services and payroso und. The average New York human servic

age ncy that contracts with government takes

about 90 percent of ts funding from public cotracts, while the rest comes from private fun

ing, according to the Human Services Counc

a trade group.

All this is not a new phenomenon: Ev

through the New Deal and the Great Societ

social service agencies-many founded in er

when public funding for their work was

alien concept-never lost their reliance o

philanthropy.

CITY LIMIT



Private delivery of social services has been an

astounding bargain for government. "Govern

ment contracrs wim us because we're cheaper,"

says Human Services Council executive director

Darwin Davis. "It's been a longstanding com

plaint in me nonprofit arena mat me govern

ment has never paid for me full COSt of services."

But me markdowns may not prove sustain

able much longer. As it has in previous reces

sions, me private sector is proving less and less

willing to chip in-something mat has been

happening ever since me stock market started

ruming down a year and a half ago. "We've

been inundated by proposals from people we

haven't heard from in me past, saying mat foun

dations X, Y and Z aren't giving us money," says

Suzi Epstein, me program officer who oversees

funding for employment training programs at

me Robin Hood Foundation.

Some major philanmropies are trying to buck

me trend, and Robin Hood is one of mem. In

mid-September, me foundation called tOgemer

irs grantees to find out what mey needed to get

mrough me coming months. In addition to

establishing a new relief fund to assist individuals

affected by me arrack, me foundation has com

mitted an extra $7 million to me work it already

does: supporting organizations fighting poverty.

WHEDCO got one such grant within a week:

$175,000 to help make up for irs losses .

The largest World Trade Center relief pool,

me September 11 Fund, is also devoting a yet

to-be-determined portion of its $300 million

in pledges to assist nonprofits directly affected

by the attacks. By mid-October, more man a

hundred applications had come in , and about

$3 million had gone to nonprofits providing

relief services, including mental health

providers, immigrant aid groups and job refer

ral agencies. Through Seedco, an organization

mat assists non profits wim finance and man

agement, me fund is backing an additional

$2.15 million in zero-interest loans to non

profits whose offices were closed or mat lost

substantial revenue in me chaotic weeks fol

lowing me attack-when clients didn't show

up and city checks didn't get cut."We mink of nonprofits as delivering ser

vices, wnich absolutely they do, but mey are

also employers and a vital part of the city," says

United Way of New York senior vice president

Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, who helped conceive the

September 11 Fund along wim the New York

Community Trust. "Part of our stated goal was

to help businesses in lower Manhattan which

had been hurr and damaged, and nonprofits

are small businesses mat were hurt. We wanted

to make sure mey remained viable."

DECEMBER 2001

But she is all tOo aware mat not enough

other major charities are making mat a priority

this year. Indeed, me September II Fund itself

is being exceedingly careful, for bom legal andpolitical reasons, to limit irs support to groups

directly affected by me disaster or that are pro

viding specific services to mose who lost a fam

ily member or a job on mat terrible day-a

mission mat could ultimately exclude nonprof

its dealing wim long-term ripple effects.

Wim help from the New York Regional Asso-

ciation of Grantmakers, Barrios-Paoli and me

Trust's Joyce Bove urged omer foundations--and

particularly me foundations' influential trustees,

Nonprofits are

. .In aprecarious

position, and the

roots of their

troubles go back

decades before

September 11.who were proving eager to be heroes-that wim

more man $1 billion already committed to disas

ter relief in private funding alone, me bravest

ming they could do is continue supporting me

work mey always have. "This is going to take a

vety great, immediate expansion of resources for

non profits to deal wim me crisis here," agrees

William Grinker, executive directOr of Seedco

and former head of me city's Human Resources

Administration, one of me biggest sources of

human services contracrs. Bur he has no illusion

mat private reliefmoney will be sufficient to keep

me entire sectOr afloat: "I think it will take an

infusion of government resources to bring non

profits to me point where mey can provide me

necessary services," says Grinker.

BUT RIGHT NOW, GOVERNMENT couldn't be less

likely to fill me breach. The city and state are

taking some measures to help nonprofits,

including underwriting a $50 million low

interest loan program for small businesses. But

that aid is an infinitesimal portion of me fund

ing mat Albany is poised to take away. Pending

INTELLIGENC

MAKING CHANG

action on his controversial aid request to Wa

ington, me governor demanded mat legislat

forgo much of me spending mey planned

this year's budget, including me entire $3million mat members spend on grants at m

own discretion. In late OctOber, me gover

and legislative leaders had restOred about tw

mirds of mat funding, wim orders mat essen

human services and groups involved in rel

related work be first in line for me cash. W

omer curs, me total loss to nonprofirs is mman $200 million.

Meanwhile, me mayor has ordered c

agencies to cut their budgets by 15 percent.

patterns from previous cutbacks hold true,

private agencies mat contract with the city w

take a disproportionate share of mat hit.

Paradoxically, me funding crunch is comat exactly me moment when nonprofirs are

obvious place to turn for services mat are n

needed as urgently as ever. The city comptrolle

office predicrs citywide job losses of between

and 6 percent of me workforce in me comi

year-a development that will call for not on

increased investment in job training but a

new resources for emergency food, child welfa

services and omer measures mat come betwe

me poor and abject destitution. Lifenet, m

referral network for mental healm services,

convinced mere simply aren't enough train

professionals available to handle the demand

counseling. Eviction prevention, substan

abuse, H N education, asthma treatment, wor

ers' righrs-a11 of mese and more have taken

new and deeper dimensions since September I

Calls to me state substance abuse hotline, f

example, have reportedly increased 50 percen

Organizations meeting some of those nee

will have access to resources: T he state Office

Mental Health, for example, has obtain

$22.7 million for crisis counseling mrough m

Federal Emergency Management Agenc

Meanwhile, the city's Human Resourc

Administration has been referring people w

became unemployed as a result of me disaster

me agency's welfare-tO-work job placement pr

grams. That could help me groups runni

these programs meet their elusive performan

targets, assuming mat finding long-term jo

for those who have recent work experience w

be relatively easy. The state Department

Labor is Likewise referring me unemployed

private organizations funded by federal Wor

force Investment Act dollars. Job trainers ha

had talks wim state and city officials about ea

ing unrealistic performance standards, a

mese groups may also be able to access priva

relief money to ass ist displaced workers.

2



INTELLIGENCE

MAKING CHANGE

But groups unable to demonstrate a direct

connection between their clients' needs and the

disaster are already having a difficult time prov

ing they are essential. Particularly hard hit, andoutspoken about it, are groups working with

people with HIV and AIDS. Earlier this year,

one charity-Broadway Cares/Equity Fights

AIDS-announced that due to an unprecedent

ed number of applications, it was postponing its

annual grant awards by several months. Yet the

charity donated $50,000 to the Twin Towers

Fund, the city-run charity supporting the fami

lies of police, firefighters and emergency workers

killed in the attacks. "When even an AIDS orga

nization isn't supporting AIDS groups, that's a

problem," says Jackie Virno, senior policy asso

ciate for the New York AIDS Coalition.

This fall, some major corporate supporters

backed our of a fundraiser for Bailey House,

which operates residences for people with AIDS;

in toral, executive director Regina Quattrochi

expects a 25 percent decline in her organization's

private funding this year. Len McNally, who runs

the New York City AIDS Fund under the New

York Community Trust, points out that AIDS

donations were already in decline before Septem

ber l l -h is own fund's income dropped by 14

percent in just one year. He recently advised

groups seeking the fund 's support to prepare for

big cuts in their own budgets. "We talked about

the general climate for AIDS fundraising over the

next 12 to 24 months," he explains. ''That's

where many organizations are hearing they're los-ing support."

AIDS organizations also rely on revenue

tied to the number of visits clients make, pri

marily from Medicaid; those have seen a clear

decline. Quattrochi is leaving open positions

unftlled in an attempt to slash costs. But like

other advocates for people with AIDS, she pre

dicts that recent events will lead to higher rates

of infection and a greater need for services.

Even the bombing of Afghanistan will have

consequences. If predictions hold and the U.S.

becomes glutted with heroin smuggled from the

war zone, it could prompt a surge in new users

seeking an inexpensive high. Alternatively, ifmilitary action prompts a shortage, sending the

price of heroin up, it is more likely existing users

will choose the cheapest route: injection.

A connection between a social need and the

disaster is no guarantee of relief funding,

because many problems will take some time to

appear. Before September 11, the Housing

First campaign had pushed hard to get tax rev

enues from the World Trade Center and Bat

tery Park City slated for affordable housing.

Now, Coalition for the Homeless senior policy

30

analyst Patrick Markee also worries that invest

ment in immediate relief will take the place of

addressing the enduring needs of city residents.

"Our waiting room is insane," says Markee,

noting that the number of homeless families has

already reached record levels, driven by exceed

ingly high housing costs. The coalition is now

bracing itself for a wave of evictions, as unem

ployed people find themselves unable to pay the

rent. Predicting such a calamity is hardly a parti

san agenda-at a recent Carnegie Corporation

disaster-response meeting, Mayor Giuliani's num

ber-two lawyer, Larry Levy, also expressed worry

that the ci ty will soon see a rise in homelessness.

"When is it going to hit?" Markee asks

rhetorically, adding up unsustainable rent-to

income ratios, swelling unemployment figures

and eviction law timetables in his head. "Prob

ably not for another year."

"When even

an AIDS

organization isn't

supporting AIDS

groups, that'saproblem," says

one activist.

NOT EVERY NONPROFIT is facing fmancial may

hem as a result of recent events. In fact, some

have found unprecedented focus for their

efforts-andwith the disaster, demonstrated the

capacity of non profits to mobilize during a crisis

in ways that government and for-profit busi

nesses can't. NPower New York, a year-old orga

nization providing computer training and otherservices to nonprofits, found itself serving as an

influential intermediary for tens of millions of

dollars in relief donations from technology com

panies. The first call was from Microsoft, one of

NPower's founding parmers, asking the group to

identifY $5 million worth of technology needs

among nonprofits disabled by the attack.

More companies soon followed Microsoft's

lead, confident that their contributions would be

in capable hands. In fact , the companies quickly

refused to deal with anyone other than NPower.

Through the group, Intel supplied technology t

New Jersey's relief center in Liberty State Park

And when the city opened its relief center o

Worth Street, it was NPower again that coord

nated the delivery of piles of computers and ne

working equipment. "It opened on [aJ Wedne

day," recalls NPower New York executive directo

Barbara Chang. "They called us on Monday, sa

ing, 'Get this going!'"Bur other groups seeking to assist in reliefhav

found themselves frustrated. With guidance ftom

the New York Commwlity Trust, WHEDC

had sought to use its idled catering kitchen to pr

pare food for relief workers, only to be inform

by FEMA that the Salvation Army and Red Cro

had exclusive contracts to supply food . (FEM

Voluntary Agency Liaison Ken Curtin says th

the city Department ofHealth made the decisi

to restrict food service to the two charities.) "Thvety modest food operation we proposed,

would have allowed us to keep staff people, an

we could have delivered for under $2 a head. B

I can't get a foot in the door," says a vexed Bibe

man. "We are laying off people who are doing th

work, who are becoming additional casualties."

Other organizations are also already layi

of f employees or reducing staff hour

because, they say, years of inadequate gover

ment payment for their services have l

them with no margins for unexpected ca

shortages. "Yo u have to understand how pr

carious all of our positions have been for t

past seven or eight years," says Kathy Mastegeneral counsel for the Brooklyn gro

CAMBA and vice-chair of the New York Ci

Employment and Training Coalition. She sa

that while she supports performance-bas

contracts in principle, without improv

compensation for job training program

CAMBA will have to layoff staff and sh

down its initiative training refugees.

While sympathetic to nonprofits' plig

Barrios-Paoli appears resigned that times will

tough for them. The September 11 Fund, s

emphasizes, cannot help groups with problem

that predated the disaster. Nonprofits "a

caught between an economy that's problemaand a city and state that are putting resourc

that might arguably have gone into other thin

into [disaster relief]," says Barrios-Paoli. "Th

are going to have to figure out how to survive

But Masters, like Quattrochi and othe

thinks it's high time for government to settle

accounts-and "bailout" is a word they're usi

a lot these days. "We've been subjected to a bu

ness model, and the city and state want us to a

like businesses," says Masters. 'Td like to act li

the airline business, thanks very much." •

CITY LIMIT



CRUMBLE in the BRONXcontinued from page 23

in the building. She contacted the elevator company and discovered it would not make repairs

because Banana Kelly owed too much money.

And in 12 years ofliving in the same apartment,

she says, she had never received a paint job. "It

was horrible," she said. "I t was unbelievable."

Tenants generally agree that Banana Kelly's

property management operation was unre

sponsive. "You were supposed to call the office,

and it seemed like they would write the com

plaints on a block of ice ," says Marta Rivera.

"They just disappeared. They got the rent, but

they never got the complaints." Many tenants

say they regularly received warnings from Con

Edison that lights in the public areas were

about to be cut off because Banana Kelly had

not paid its bills . One tenant at 750 Bryant

Avenue, where the public lighting was actually

turned off several times, had kept a bill stating

that the owner owed $52,000 for one account.

Tenants also say they were regularly charged

for back rent even if they were current on their

payments. "You were always receiving notices

that you owed arrears," says Cheryl Jones, who

lives at 750 Bryant Avenue. Several tenants made

it a habit to save their receipts so that they could

demonstrate that the arrears billed were erro

neous when Banana Kelly took them to housing

court. Former employees who worked for the

group for years confirm that property manage

ment operations were beset with such problems.

"It was embarrassing in front of the judge when

they saw that the tenant had paid," one recalls.

"There was no money-no money for

repairs, no money for materials ," says another

manager. "The supers had no control either

so metimes they didn't have a broom or a mop."

One of the likely reasons the organization

had so Little money on hand was that it had dif-

ficulty collecting rents. Marc Jahr, program vice

president of LISe, confirms that Banana Kelly

has experienced such problems since the buildings his organization helped fund opened to

their first occupants in the early 1990s. "Their

rent collections were very poor relative to other

gro ups," he says. "You could go down the street

and find other CDCs with the same portfolios,

and they were co llecting rents." Rivera notes that

her organizatio n auempted to work out payment

deals with tenants who fell behind on their rents,

even if collection rates suffered as a result.

Banana Kelly's woes are not all of its own

making. Running a large portfolio of buildings

designated for low-income tenants, would be a

formidable challenge for any organization.

DECEMBER 2001

Banana Kelly had very liule margin for error

it needed ro keep rent collection rates high and

the buildings close to fully occupied. What's

more, it had to contend with construction flaws

that may go back to the earliest days of city

funded rehabilitation of abandoned buildings.

Flores, for one, says that the plumbing problems

in 788 Fox Street were never really addressed

during the entire 20 years that Banana Kelly ran

the building. Such problems may have been a

serious drain on the organization's resources.

But property management also suffered,

according to former staff and outside

observers, because information systems were

terribly inadequate. In the early 1990s the

South Bronx Comprehensive Communiry

Revitalization Project, a program designed to

strengthen a select group of Bronx communi

ty organizations, provided resources for

Banana Kelly to bring on Staff with the neces

sary expertise. Janice Berthoud, who was hired

during this period, says that as vice president

of operations she created a new system for

property management that was in place by the

time she left in 1994.

But staff who stayed on say that most

changes were never institutionalized. Rapid

turnover, they say, impeded further progress.

"There was a rapid round of firing and hiring

in key positions, says Simon Moule, who

worked at Banana Kell y in 1991 and 1992 andnow runs a property management consulting

business. "There were different property and

fiscal staff every three months." In 1996, 16

staff were fired in a restructuring; in 1999, still

more, including the president. Rivera says that

turnover at Banana Kelly was no greater than is

typical at nonprofit agencies.

Yet the organization clearly had problems

following through with projects. Some of its

buildings lost out on tax abatements worth

hundreds of thousands of dollars because appli

cations were never completed. A vacant syna

gogue on Fox Street that the organization

planned to turn into a base for its programs hasstood undeveloped for 10 yea rs. A vacant lot

across from the organization's main office met

the same fate.

In 1998, tension s reached a boiling point for

the residents of 866 Beck Street, who descended

on a community board meeting to demand that

Banana Kelly resolve drastic problems in the

building, including rats, leaks, and a month-long

gas shut-off Through the mediation of a com

munity board member, tenants and the group

eventually agreed to obtain a state loan. Bur

Banana Kelly failed to file financial documents in

time. By 2000, 866 Beck was boarded up.

Bttered from its tribulations, Banana K

is attempting to rebuild. It is relyin

other organizations to rake on respon

ities it formerly carried our in-house. "It's bto give management to other entities s

doing management, while we focus on

people are doing," explains Rivera.

SEBCO vice president Phil Foglia says

the properties had serious problems when

organization took them over, but that it is

ing repairs. An outside firm , N. Cheng &is now managing Banana Kelly's financ

step Rivera expects will quell questions abou

cal practices. An executive search firm is he

recruit new board members.

The new Banana Kelly is looking to dev

programs in areas it identifies as strengths,

ticularly in youth initiatives, business and

nology, and "adults and their dreams." It

continue to manage social service contracts

says residents want to see Banana Kelly co

ue to create programs that allow them r

property owners and express their dre

"People would like to see us be more invo

in their lives," she says.

Banana Kelly's success a t winning over s

tical residents will hinge in part on whethe

organization can delive r solid, useful servic

the neighborhood. The more fundam

challenge, however, may be to provide

with a genuine voice within the organizaThe board of directors could be one place

that. But in the end, it will surely requ

return to the SOrt of organizing that w

enable residents to take an active, cooper

role in building and running their neigh

hood. For if resident involvement and co

has been the key to much of the organiza

past fame and success, it could prove eq

crucial to its fu (UT e.

"If [Yolanda Rivera] had given Banana K

to the people and let the people who were

ning it continue," contends Mavelin Mor

"the agency wouldn't have fallen apart the

she let it fall apart." Bertha Lewis says it's son that's been learned and lost over and

agai n, and not just by Banana Kelly. "

neighborhoods need a co mbination of diff

things," observes Lewis. "They need advo

and they need community development

they need social services, but the engine

drives it all is organizing. And that's the

they always leave out." •

Robin Le Baron is a project manager with

Parodneck Foundation. During 19961997 he conducted dissertation researc

Banana Kelly.



This Sold Housecontinued from page 19

poor neighborhoods. But, even now, homeowner counselors and hous

ing advocates say, the city could take some simple steps to protect vulnerable homeowners.

For one thing, the city could extend a program, called the Senior Cit

izen Homeowners Exemption (SCHE), which gives a reduction in raxes

for low-income homeowners over 65. For someone with an income below

$19,500, the program offers a 50 percent reduction; for those between

$19,500 and $28,900, smaller discounts apply, on a sliding scale.

Counselors say SCHE is an effective tool to keep elderly people in

their homes. Still, it has one huge shortcoming: It's not retroactive. If a

senior doesn't apply for the exemption until she's 70, but owes a tax lien

based upon payments she couldn't make since she was 65 , she has no

recourse bu t to pay the full debt, or lose her home.

They also say the city could do a better job of educating homeowners,

particular seniors, many of whom struggle with illiteracy, poor health and,

sometimes, dementia. Experts who work with seniors say that repeating

straightforward messages is essential. Why not begin explaining rax lien

sales as soon as certain homeowners miss their first payment, instead of

waiting until their three years are nearly up? Why isn't the SCHE exemp

tion pushed harder? "They need to explain the rax process a lot better," says

Marcia Vacacela, director of homeowner services for Neighborhood Hous

ing Services. "By the time homeowners hear about the liens, the debt is

already so high, it's too difficult to fix the problem ."

The most controversial proposal, backed by a coalition of legal, coun

seling and economic organizations called the Tax Liens Moniroring Group,

would be to exempt certain categories of homeowners from property raxes .

At the vety least, the city could allow those groups flexibility in establishing

long-term, low-interest payment plans. There is nothing legally preventing

the city from excluding these groups now; Finance has full discretion over

which liens go in a sale. New York could join Atlanta, which in 1994

excluded lien sales for "those private properties owned by the elderly, hand

icapped or disadvantaged. " Philadelphia has similar provisions.

Advocates argue that such exclusions are good policy, particularly

because many of the liens are for less than $10,000. "They're making a rel-atively small amount of money from small homeowners," argues Canedo.

"Losing their houses over a few thousand dollars isn't worth it."

But others, like Larian Angelo, deputy direcror of the City Council's

finance division , argue that exempting certain groups would set a bad

precedent, possibly jeopardizing tax collections and budgets. "There has

to be some threat involved in paying the taxes," says Angelo.

What 's so tricky abour evaluating tax lien sales is that it's like

a Hepatitis C outbreak-it takes a long time to see the ful l

consequences. If hundreds or thousands of homeowners

have been pushed into predatory loans in order to payoff their tax

debts, it would take months or years before significant numbers of those

homeowners fall behind on their mortgage payments. And then there's

the rwo- to three-year average length of the t ortuous foreclosure process.What's worrisome about that possibility is that the victims of preda

tory lending fueled by tax lien sales are poor neighborhoods' most valu

able asset-long-term homeowners. "Older homeowners are active in

block associations ," observes Howard. ''They have a history in the

neighborhood. They're very connected. When you have a high rurnover

in a neighborhood like Bed-Stuy, you see the face of predatory lending

in crumbling blocks."

It's not just the loss of the family that leaves a foreclosed house behind

that hurts neighborhoods. "This is what makes the whole market for real

estate speculators," observes Madden. "They go out, flip the houses and tty

to get rich. So you move from a home building family equity to feeding

speculation. It 's how money gets sucked our of minority neighborhoods

and that creates anger and distrust. It's so disheartening." •

32

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your ad to 212-479-3339. The

ad will run in the City Limits

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212-479-3345 .

RENTAL SPACEDesk space in newly renovated office. Desk,

utilities , included. Location, 3rd and 12th

Street in Brooklyn ,Business should be compat

ible with Real Estate broker. Rent $750 per

month. One and half month secu rity. No R.E.

fee . Call P Jenkins 718-789-6274.

JOB ADS

COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT Positionrequires ability to write press releases; pitch

stories; handle press inquiries; update media

databases; track placement; maintain Web

site; and other communications activitiesincluding managing publication production.

Must have excellent oral and writing skills,ability to juggle multiple projects, and interest

in working at anonprofit organization dedicated to health care and aging issues. Fax, e

mail, or mail resume and writing sa mples to

DB , Medicare Rights Center, 1460 Broadway,

NY,NY, 10036; ax: 212-869-3532; or email to:

[email protected].

CASES seeks a BILINGUAL TRAINER to deliverthe Treatment Readiness Program classes in

Spanish. Respon si ble for providing referrals forservices in Spanish and English; focus on link

ages with bi-cultural programs ; and develop

relationships with treatment provider. Certifi

cation as HIV counselor and a suitable combination of academic training or equivalent

experience in social work required . Salary:

$29K, plus excellent benefits.Send cover letter

and resume to: Personnel, CASES-TRP, 346

Broadway, 3rd Floor West, New York, NY 10013.

CASES is EOE.

ADMNISTRATIVE ASSISTAN T. FIT Posi

needed to assist the Executive Director in

to day operations. Type memos,program na

tives , statistical reports, and Board corres

dence. Compose short letters, Main

employees time balance, Establish and m

tain filing system , n Charge of petty cash

token disbursementlreimbursements , O

and distribute supplies, coordinate Emplo

Health Insurance and other benefits ,Respoble for office management and organiza

Answer telephones, Coordinate appointm

and meetings for the Executive Director, sch

uling and organizing materials for Board M

ings, Supervise clerical volunteers and inte

Qualifications: Associates Degree in rel

field and 2-3 years experience, excellent o

nizational and interpersonal skills , abilit

follow-up, detail oriented , good spellinggrammatical skills , computer literateknowledge of Word/Excel/PowerPointiAcceExperience in typing and organizing large

uments. Haitian Women 's Prog

464-466 Bergen Street, Broo

NY 11217 (718) 399-0360 E-m

haitianwomensprogram@ erols.com .

PROGRAM COORDINATOR. Position is res

sible for creation of the NY Child Care facilNetwork, aproposed program of financing

technical assistance to expand child care

vices.Major responsibilities include: creati

bus iness plan, designing capital and TA

grams; organizing the local advisory com

tee ; marketing; and fund raising. Bache

degree required, preferably in a relevant

of study such as business administracommunity development, or in early care

education. Resumes: The Low Income Hou

Fund , 1330 Broadway, Suite 600, Oakland

94612. Salary commensurate with experie

and excellent benefits. EOElAA.

Olivieri Center for Homeless Women of U

Pathways , an EOE, seeks apart-time BA C

MANAGER for 21-27 hours/week, seeing

clients. Facilitate groups , incldg Hou

Readiness. Assist MI , MCA, chem . depen

clients to identify barriers to perm . hou

Create individualized Ix plan. Will conside

and/or CASAC willing to attain BA. Need e

rience working w/chronically mentally ill,stance abusers and/or homeless popula

No calls please. Resume/cover letter to: So

Stanton, Dir. Soc . Servo 212-594-2359 or

to Olivieri Center, 257 W. 30 St., NYC 1000

STAFF ASSOCIATE. Lesbian & Gay Rights

AIDS Projects Provide back-up for ProjDevelopment and Public Education. Must w

well,work well with others, and think crea

ly; College degree and experience in comm

cations, development, or community relati

Send cover letter, resume, nonfiction wrsample,and two references to :Matthew C

ACLU Lesbian &Gay Rights and AIDS Proje

125 Broad Street-18th Floor, New York

10004.

The North Star Fund , a progressive foundawhich supports community organizations

socia l change in NYC , seeks a full-tPROGRAM ASSOCIATE to coordinate our C

munity Funding Board and grantmaking

CITY LIMI



grams. Experience with community organiza

tions, writing and computer skills are neces

sary. Ca ndidateshould have political perspec

tive compatible with our progressive mission.

Salary $28-32K and generous benefits. Please

send cover etter, resume, two writing samples,three references to: North Star Fund , 305 7th

Ave ., NY NY 10001. People of color, lesbians

and gay men are encouraged to apply. Dead

line: ASAP.

Leading company in the job training field seeks

creative, experienced adult education profes

sional for PROJECT DRECTOR in Manhattan.

Work closely with city HRA officials to provide

basic education, ESL and computer skillstraining to working adults on public assis

tance. Services during daytime, twilight , and

Saturday hours. Oversee staff of 8 and two

training locations. Permanent career position,immediate opening. Salary $60,000 plus per

formance bonus . Fax resume to B. Lynch (610)

566-9482 .

Common Ground Community (CGC) , a eading

NYC not-for-profit housing development and

property management organization , seeks aCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTSCOORDINATOR to plan and implement special Hous

ing Development projects and programs . The

Coordinator will oversee the census of home

less subgroups, including the recruitment and

training of census workers; collect data, con

duct analyses , prepare statistical reports, and

make recommendations for further study. The

Coord inator will also perform research , draftand/or write grant proposals and publications,building materials, and maintenance proce

dures. S\he will also present training and sem

inars on national and international iss ues

involving housing and homelessness ; and

coordinate the participation of and/or repre

sent CGC in Community Advisory Board andlocal Community Board meetings for the

Chelsea Residence and projects. BA degree

and experience and/or commitment to working

with low income, special needs communities.

Cover letter and resume with salary require

ments to Director, Human Resources , CGC , 14

East 28 Street, NY, NY 10016.

Reporting to the Executive Drector (ElD), and

working in collaboration with the Board of

Directors, the senior staff, funding sources,government agencies and local community

leaders, the DIRECTOR OF HOUSING

DEVELOPMENT will conceptualize, establish,

plan, implement , and manage the housing

development agenda of Common Ground Com

munity. The Director will develop additionalpermanent housing facilities based on Com-

mon Ground 's successful projects, and create

and implement new programs serving subpopulations of the homeless and low-incomehouseholds. S\he wi ll secure project financing;and oversee and manage the work of consul

tants. Candidates should have Masters degree

and five years comparable experience withknowledge of low income housing financing .Cover letter and resume with sa lary require

ments to Director, Human Resources, CGC , 14

East 28 Street, NY, NY 10016.

The Cypress Hlls Local Development Corpora-

DECEMBER 2001

tion seeks a seasoned NONPROFIT

ADMINISTRATOR to join its management team.The Directorof Administration will be respons ible for financial management, echnology,MIS ,human resources , facilities and communica

tion functions of the agency. Cypress Hills

Local Development Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 300 individuals and sponsor

comprehensive community revitalization and

human services programs at ten sites with abudget of $6 million. Candidates for this position should possess senior level management

experience (5 years minimum) in a LOC or

social service organization , a MS degree in

Public Administration, Business or Social Work

and strong administrative skills. Salary depen

dent upon experience . FAX resume to: MichelleD Neugebauer, 718/647-2805.

Gallatin School of Individualized Study. The

Gallatin School seeks an experiencedTEACHERISCHOLAR with a ecord of excellence

in learning formats that link the classroom and

the community: experiential education, action

research , internships, service learning, filedstudy. This new faculty member will : create

and teach courses and projects that connecttheoretical inquiry with activity in community

settings; help other faculty member integrate

experiential components into their courses;

develop partnerships between Gallatin and

community-based organizations; advise students. The successful candidate may have

(inter) disciplinary or professional training in

any number of social sciences and/or profes

sion; she or he must also have significantexperience in community-based learning pro

grams, as well in college-level teaching; expe-

rience in community organizing or grassroots

activism, particularly in communities of color,

is desirable. A ecord of research and publica tion is also an asset. Gallatin offers the BA and

MA in individualized study; student-createdconcentrations , intensive advisement and

mentoring, experiential learning and student

centered teaching. Students combine course

work from most NYU schools with Gallatin

seminars and non-classroom study. Our cours

es bridge debates for the great books traditionwith current scholarship , contemporary issues

and alternative canons. Qualifications: Ph .D r

equivalent; commitment to non-traditionaleducation, especially advising and mentoring;excellent teaching skills, ncluding at the postsecondary level; ability to develop innovative

courses and projects; high-quality scholar

ships. We are committed to enlarging the

diversity of voices in our commun ity. Rank is

open , pending budgetary approval. Send letter

of application and c.v. to: Chair, Faculty SearchCommittee, Ga llatin School of Individualized

Study, New York University, 715 Broadway, New

York, NY 10003. Review of applications in con

tinuing into the Fall 2001. The Gallatin School

is strongly committed to building a diversecommunity among our faculty, staff and students. Gallatin's website can be found at

www.nyu.edu/gallatin.

Bushwick Family Residence, a Salvation Army

lier II for homeless families , seeks a CASE

MANAGER . Experience with similar population .BA degree required. Send resume and cover

letter to: B. Burns 1675 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY

11207. O ax to: 718-574-2713.

Faith-based CDC seeks COORDINATOR forneighborhood improvement and public safety

project within Bedford Stuyvesant whose out

comes include housing rehabilitation , preser

vation, and construction; safer streets;improved appearance of streetscapes; strong

resident associations; increased computer and

finan cial literacy; and youth civic engagement.

Coordinator will directly implement projects

and organizing efforts and collaborate withother programs that impact the target neigh

borhood . Qualifications: BA or AA. 5+ years in

the community development field, includingprogram and organizing experience and abilityto facilitate collaborative efforts among com munity residents, non profits, and law enforce

ment and other public agencies . Salary:

$35,000 to $45,000, commensurate with expe-

rience. Forward resume and cover letter: Bridge

Street Development Corporation , 266

Stuyvesant Avenue , Brooklyn, New York 11221

Attn: Safe at Home Coordinator Search, Fax

(718) 573-6874.

Hunter College Center on AIDS, Drugs and

Community Health seeks PROJECT COORDINA

TOR provide general oversight of research project a 2Planned Parenthood field sites, super

vise research assistants & research activities .Experience in women 's health , community

research or health. Masters in related fieldhealth , nursing,etc. RESEARCH ASSISTANTS 2PT positions available, implementing counsel

ing curriculum at the 2 ield sites &conduct

ing interviews. Experience in community outreach , research & interviewing. Send resume,cover letter & 3 professional references (no

phone calls) to: J. Melly, 425 East 25th Street.

New York, NY 10010.

Help USA, ahomeless housing provider has the

following opportunities available: SOCIAL

WORK CLINICIAN : A challenging opportunityfor a creative and dedicated professional to

grow through hands on practice through therapeutic groups and counseling individual s.

Candidate must have a MSW. New graduates

are encouraged to apply. Computer literacy is amust. Bilingual (Spanish/English) is a plus.Salary starts in the low $30s. CASE MANAGER

An opportunity for acommitted professional to

play an essential ro le in helping familiesachieve permanent housing and self sufficiency. Must be able to handle aquick pace and amultiple tasked job. BA is required with Case

Manger experience desirable. Computer literacy is required. Salary starts in mid $20s.INTENSIVE CASE MANAGER Exciting, challeng

ing opportunity to provide intensive case man

agement to a case load of 12-15 families.Duties include meeting with each family as

needed , with a maximum of once per week.Assist families in maintaining day to day

activities, increasing the family 's money management , daily living and parenting skills, and

teaching families self advocacy skills. Must be

computer literate. lime management skillsand ability to multi-task as well as being

capable of working in face paced environment

are necessary. BA is required . Salary starts in

low $30s. Resume for "Social Work Clinician"and "Case Manager" should be forwarded to :Tabitha N Gaffney, Director of Social Services ,Fax : 718-485-5916. Resumes for "Intensive

Case Manager" should be forwarded to Carol

JOB AD

Agurs, Assistant Executive Director, Fa

485-5916. EOE. Adrug free workplace.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR . City Project, p

sive nonprofit research , education, te

assistance and advocacy organization

York City, seeks highly motivated indivibe executive director. City Project analy

City's budget, educates the public ab

City'sbudget and fiscal condition and itery of services, provides technical ass

to non profits, and advocates for equ

social justice. Extensive experience wiYork City, its neighborhoods , and its p

structure required. Demon strate knowle

fiscal and policy analysis, and able to

out and bring a wide spectrum of New

together in common projects, write clea

raise money. Graduate degree preferred.

competitive. Send resum e and writingto: Gregg Walker,Chair,Sea rch Committ

Pro ject, 350 Broadway, Suite 525,New Y

10013.

HIGH SCHOOL COORDINATOR. (pn Des i

implement educational , co llege and

activities for high school youth . Faworkshops for parents, serve as liaiso

teachers, guidance counselors, and com

ty providers. Req . Mas ters or BA plus

ence with youth, bilingual preferred,organizational and programming skills.Commensurate with experience . Send

to Carmen Diaz, Hunter College Departm

Urban AffairslLPP, 695 Park Avenue W

New York, NY 10021.

STAEW IDE CAMPAIGN ORGANZER .

Reform and Pub lic Job Creation Issues

munity Voices Heard , amembership or

tion of low-income people on welfare b

NYC is seeking an experienced organ

build and manage a statewide campaNew York State fOCtJsing on Re-Autho

(Federal Welfare Reform), job creatiostate welfare reform issues. Th is posit

be based in NYC , but with a arger perc

of statewide travel, a arge focus of wh

be the Hudson Valley to Albany. The StaCampaign Organizer will be responsi

Identifying groups and constituencies in

ed in welfare, job creation and othe

poverty iss ues ; building relation ship

upstate organizations and individuals

districts throughout the state to work o

fare , job creation and other anti-issues; building networks of local indion welfare to support CVH Campaign

issues; providing technical assistance

ing and information to help mobilize locmunity organizations and people on

issues; organizing statewide meeting

actions with interested organizations an

viduals focusing on TANF and welfare

issues. Qualifications: 2+ years experi

Direct Membership, Legislative , eland/or issue organizing; experience orgcommunity forums, meetings and larg

actions; excellent with computers, writispeaking in public; a basic understan

the state budget process, welfare refo

job creation issues is highly desirable

to work independently, as well as pateam ; Spanish language ability is debut not required ;Ability to work long hou



JOB ADS

to wo rk away from NYC for pe riods of time,incl ud ing traveling arou nd NYS TheStatewde

Ca mpaign Organizer is a temporary position.Appicans sho ud have access to an auomo

bile or statewide travel. Sa lary is DOE. Please

fax resume and cover letter ASAP to CVH 170 E 116 th Street, IE New Yo rk, NY10029 or 212-

996-9481. For more information, check out:cvhaction.org or call: 212-860-6001. CVH is an

equa l oppo rtunity employer, women , peop leofcolor; LGBTpeople and former welfare recipi

ents areencouraged to apply for this position.

Established and growing non profit seeks

GRANTS ACCOUNTANT to prepare mo nh lyreports to funding sou rces and work with gov ernment contracts. BAIBS Accounting and

minimum 2 ea rsexperience requi red .So lomon

a plus. Fax resume to 212-931-9181 or email

hr@ere-cpa .com .

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. A management

consu lting fi rm worki ng with nonprofit, foundation , and corporate clients seeks a FIT

administrative assistant to provide general

office support. Requires strong sense of pro

fessionalism ,ability to prioritize, and attentionto deta il. Salary commensu rate w/experience;goo dbenefits. Send letter/resume to:The Conservation Company, 50 East 42nd St reet , 19thfloor, New York,NY10017. Fax: 212-949-1672.

We are an Equal Opportunity Emp loyer.

NYC Employment &Training Coalition seeks a

RESEARCH DIRECTOR to analyze labor markettrends,workforce development and welfare-to

work statutes and regulations , and draft briefing materials. We represent 95 community

based organizations providing training and

employment services. Requirements: MA or

equivalent experience; knowledge of employ

ment, training and welfare policies; strong

research , written , verbal and ana lytic sk ills.Resume and relevant writing sample to: Mar

garet Stix, NYC Employment & Training Coalition ; 275 Seventh Avenue , 14th F.; NY NY10011; Email:[email protected].

Shelterforce:The Journal of Affordable Housing

and Community Building seeks an EDlTDR to

plan issues, recruit writers, make assign

mens, edit copy, oversee design and produc

tion . Fesh ideas, congeniality, a progressive

but non-dogmatic outlook, and familia rity with

commun ity deve lopment/organizing are puses . Resume/samples to: NHI, 439 Main St. ,Oange, NJ 07050, or e-mail [email protected].

Small non-profit organization seeks PART

TIME OFFICE MANAGER. Qualifications: Bookkeeping/Quickbooks required Non-profitadministrative experience preferred Database

expo required. Good phone skills Duties will

include: facility management responsibilities

for sma ll hstoric bui lding with non-profit ten

ants, general staffing for Board meetings,preparation of minutes, scheduling use of

meeting and office spaces , monthly invoicing,management of cleaning saff & service

requests. Please send resume and cover letter

to Felicia Mayro, St. Mark's Historic Landmark

Fund , 232 East 11th Street, NYC 10003.

FELLOWSHIP. Reproduct ive Freedom Project.

Assist in all aspects of Project litigation . One

year with possible extension to two years . M

be self-motiva ted an dcommitted to reprod

tive rights; excellent research and writ

skills. Th ird-year law students and rec

graduates. Send resu me etter of interest ,erences, and lega l writing sample to: Lou

Melling, Assoc iate Director, Reproductive F

dom Project , ACLU 125 Broad Street-1

Foor, NYC , 10004. Noemails.

Teaching hospital in Park Slope see ks

DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE to provide of

support & database services for developm

program . Raiser 'sEdge & research a plus,Office req ured. Must have good organizatio

& people skills. BA or equiva

databaselfundraising experience prefer

Fax letter and resume 718-780-5

dcr900 [email protected] .

COMMUNITY ORGANIZER will work to buil

team of parents to increase awareness, ad

cacy, andsupport for district one school in

Lower East Side. Experience working with

ents,educational institutions , non-profits,

PROFESSIONAl DIRECTORY

Consultant Services

Proposa ls/Grant Writing

Hud Grants/Covt. RFPs

Housing/Pros,..,-un Developmcnc

Rea l Es tate Sak'S/Rentals

Technica l Assistance

Employment Programs

Capacity Building

MI(UA(L 6. BU((ICONSULTANT

HOUSING , DEVELOPMENT & FUNDRAISING

Co mmunity Relations

PHONE: 212-765-7123

FAX: 212-397-6238

E-MAIL: [email protected]

451 WEST 48th STREET, SUITE 2E

NEW YORK , NEW YORK 10036-1298

34

Nesoff Associates

management solutions for non-profits

Providing a fo il range o fmanagement suppor t servicesfo r non

profit organizations

• management development & strategic planning

• board and staff development & rraining

• program design, implemenrarion & evaluation

• proposal and report writing

Box 130 • 75A Lake Road ' Congers, NY 10920' tel/fax (914) 268-6315

NYSTAR.COMWebmastering Service,

Web Design ,Free Ads Available,Free Link Exchange.

http: / / www.nystar.com

or email [email protected].

SOURY COMMUNICATIONSFull Service Public Relations and Marketing Firm

local and national media experts • crisis communications • government and public affairs. corporate sponsorships· media

training· advertising • special events

Clients include AAFE, Green Guerillas, GM Minority Dealers, KesslerRehab, NY Ethical Culture Society, NY Chinese Scholar's Garden

offering non-profit rate

150 west 25 street , suite 403new york, ny 10001

(212) 414-5857

[email protected]

Committed to the development of affordable housing

GEORGE C. DELLAPA, ATTORNEY AT LAW15 Maiden Lane, Suite 1800

New York, NY 10038212-732-2700 FAX: 212-732-2773

LOl/J-incomt hOl/sing tax credit syndication

Public and private

financing. HDFCs and not-for-profit corporatiom. Condos and co-ops. j-51

Tax abatement/exemptions. Lending o r historic properties.

SPECIALIZING IN REAL ESTATEJ-5 1 Tax Abatement/Exemption . 421A and 421B

Applications • 501 (e) (3) Federal Tax Exemptions • All formsof government-assisted housing, including LISC/ Enterprise,

Section 202, State Turnkey and NYC Partnership Homes

KOURAKOS & KOURAKOSAttorneys at Law

Eastchester, N.Y.

Phone: (914) 395-D871

CITY LIMIT



pol itical orga nza tio ns in an effort to bu ild acoalition of social change agents to improve

Dstrict oneschoo ls. Salary Mid -30's. Bl in gual

& MSW preferre d. Please forward resu me to

Pablo Tejada 212-505-5660.

APPL.E.S COORDINATOR. Responsible for

established consortium of agencies to prevent

teen pregnancy. Pan and facilitate meetings ,

ass ist the officers, monitor subcontractors,oversight of a youth employment project and

program development. BSWIBA or related field

experience and commitment to youth develop

ment. Flex ible hours and four wee ksvacation .Send resume ASAP to: Staff Search, Loisaida ,Inc . 710 East 9th Street, NY, NY 10009, fax

212-473-5462, e-mail [email protected].

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT responsibe for mainte

nance of accounting systems and all transactions involving the accounting requirements of

the company. Directly responsible for monitor

ing the companies financial budgets. Conduct

bu dget reviews, prepare bud get va riance

reports,and budget modifications. Post journal

entries into accounting systems. Prepare

monthly bank reconciliations. Reports to con

tro ller. Bac he lors degree wi th 3 years paid

experience in accounting. Working knowledge

of Microsoft Excel. Knowledge of American

Fund wa re a plus. Knowledge of non-profitorga nzations helpful. Salary commensurate

with experience. Com petitive benefits. Emailus at [email protected] or fax at 718-

299-1386.

The Association of the Bar of the City of NY

Fund, Inc. seeks an ATTORNEY w/strong com

mtment to pu blic service &homeless rights to

temporarily direct Legal Clinic for the Homeless

for 4months. Boad knowledge of public bene

fits and housn g law, excellent organizational

& communication skills req . Spanish languagea plus . Send cove r letter/resume/salary

req/writing sample to HR Dir, 42 W 4th Street,New York, NY10036-6690. EOE.

The Forest Hills Community House now has 2positions avai lab le n he Organizing!Housing

and Homelessness Prevention Program target-

ing families who have experience d multip lethreats of eviction. The new positions will carry

forth the case management com ponent of ateam effort to hel p the fami ly identify an dresolve issues,which interfere with heir housing stabi lity. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Oganiz

ing!Housing Su pport Pograms: Requires :MSW

or equ ivalent; 2-3 yea rs experience working

wth at risk families; supervisory experience ;

excellent written and verbal skills; knowledgeof entitlements and community res ources .Must be willing to do home visits. BilingualSpanishlEnglish preferred. Salary: Low-Mid

30's . CASE MANAGER: Requre s: BSW r equivalent; 2-3 years experience working with at risk

families; excellent written and verba l skills,knowledge of entitlements and access to com

munity resources . Must be willing to do home

visits . Blingual Spanish/English preferred .Salary: 25-30. Excellent benefits. EEO. Send

Resumes to: FHCH 108-25 62nd Drive Forest

Hills, NY 11375.

The Sa lvation Army seeks a DIRECTOR OF

MENTAL HEALTH to oversee existing and future

JOB AD

single adult shelters and SROs for me

ill/chemically addicted population . Resp

bilities inc lude : multi-site man agemdevelop ment and mo nitoring program

gets; grant writing; a l as pects of stafcommunity re lations . Req uires : MS/MA de

prior exp ope ra ting a residential faci lity,

experience a+. Sa lary $60K+ dep upon e

rience. Please fax resume to Patricia DeL

212-337-7279.

The Center for Urban Community Services

(CUCS) is agrowing not-for-profit organizis rec ruiting fo r the folowing position.position is available at the Times Square

gram, a permanent supportive housing

dence for 650 low-income tenants, man

whom have a history of mental illness, ho

less ness, substance abuse and/or HIV/

loc ated in md-town Manhattan. SOCIAL W

CLINICIAN Th is postion function sas partcore services eam,which providesa ull r

of direct services to recipients. Addition

this individual will provide professional e

tise in theareas of program , esource and

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

MICHAEL DAVIDSONConsultant in Nonprofit Management

MANAGEMENT SUPPORT & ASSESSMENT

BOARD DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING

STRATEGIC PLAN NING

INTERIM MAN AGE MENT ASSIGNMENTS

Hands-on solutions to h elpnonprofit organ izations achieve their vi sio n

Tel: (212) 662-1758, 523 West 121 St., NY, NY 10027,Fax: (212) 662-5861, [email protected]

NEED OFFICE SPACE?Citadel Realty Group

The Not-for-Profit Specialists

Licensed Brokers - Leasing or Purchasing - All Boroughs

No Fees or Charges

Contact Vince Marrone at 212-644-3397 ,

or at [email protected]

DEBRA BECHTEL - Attorney

Concentrating in Real Estate & Non -profit Law

Title and loan closings 0 All city housing programs

Mutual housing associat ions 0 Cooperative conve rsions

Advice to low income co-op boards of directors313 Hicks Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 ,

(718) 7 80-7994 (718 ) 624-6850

DECEMBE R 20 0 1

you can count on us

non-pro f i t bookkeepers

866 422 5302 (toll -free)

non-profit financial pros who specialize in

QuickBooks® solutions for small non-prof its

Hand Mailing ServicesHenry Street Settlemem Mailing services is a revenue

generating, work-readiness program offering batrered women an

shelter base families on the job and life skills training.

We offer hand inserting, live stamp afftxing, bulk mail , foldingcollating, labeling, water sealing and more.

For more information please call Bob Modica,

212-505-7307

OFFICE SPACE PROBLEMS?

IL.I.WCS1

CS I C ON5ULTANTS INC.

(845) 566-1267

Expert Real Estate Services - once

available only to major corporations and

institu tions -Now offered to NYC's Non-Profits •••

at no ou t-of-pocket cost,

or at specially reduced rates.

Visit our web site: www.npspace.com

Call ·for a free, no-obligation consultation.

www.npspace.com

3



JOB ADS

development necessitating a horough clinical

understanding of homelessness, mental illness , substance abuse, etc.This position ma y

supervise a imited number of individual staffmembers or students as assigned by the clinical coordinator. Requires: CSW; 2yrs of applicable post-masters degree, direct service expe

rience with populations served by the program ,2yrs of applicable pre-masters degree experi

ence may be substituted for no more than 1yrof post-masters experience. Salary: $40,123 +

comp benefits. Send cover letter and resume by

10/26/01 to Sophie Miller, CUSCmmes Square

255 West 43rd Street NY, NY 10036. CUCS is

committed to workforce diversity.

CASE MANAGER. MSW/BSW with Human Ser

vices experience preferred. Assess/plan and

coordinate services to homebound elderly in

community based agency. Challenging ,rewarding work. Knowledge of Spanish helpful.

Salary $32,000. SUPERVISOR-MSW withexperience preferred for case management

community-based agency serving homebound

seniors. Position includes supervision of social

work staff, intake, program development and

direct client contact. Salary $40,000 +.Resume to BetsyTuft,Director,Project Life,312

East 109th Street, New York, NY 10029.

VIP community services , a multi-service com

munity based behavioral health organization,has a portfolio of low & moderate-income

rental properties.We have an immediate open

ing for a HOUSING DEVElOPMENT

COORDINATOR to assist in the identification

and acquisition of properties or sites for new

projects. Conduct zoning and feasibility analysis of projects including projects for long-term

financial viability. Coordinate the preparation

of funding &subsidy applications for proposed

or existing projects. Develop strategies for

expanding the role of the agency as developerand owner of housing. Direct report to presi

dent of the company. Salary commensurate

with experience. Requirements : graduate

degree in planning, architecture, real estate or

business. Two years experience in real estate or

related field. Excellent analytical, interpersonal & communications skills. VIP is an equal

opportunity employer. We offer a competitive

benefits package which includes health insurance, pension, & more. Please fax: 718-299-l386.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZER works with Parent

Action Committee, an established grass-roots

organizing project led by parents in SW Bronx,whose goal is systemic improvement of the

schools in Community School District 9, in SW

Bronx, where 77% of students do not read at

grade level. C.O. works with parents toresearch, develop and implement multifacetedcampaigns and conduct outreach . Require

ments: Trained organizer with passion for

socia l ustice; minimum 2years ' experience in

organizing. B.A.IB.S . or MSW . preferred . Expe

rienced organizers with equivalent trainingalso considered. EDUCATION COUNSELOR,Col

lege A cess Center.Working with Center Direc tor in new center (opening fall '01), plan &con

duct 1-1 co un seling sessions & group work

shops for teens, parent orientations &commu-

36

nity outreach, with goal of assisting youth in

overcoming barriers to higher education, stay

ing on track through high school &applying to

college. Requirements: Counseling/advisingexperience with focus on academic achieve

ment and higher ed . opps. B.A.IB .S Salary:mid-20s-30K. COORDINATOR, Youth Program .Manage &develop the Bronx Helpers, an intensive, award-winning, community service/youth

organizing program for teens , 12-18, andtrain/supervise program staff. Requirements:

Leadership experience in positive youth devel

opment, community service/outreach & youth

organizing toward social change. MSW/ rele

vant advanced degree or 2 years ' experience

with youth & group work. Salary: low-mid 30s.ALL POSITIONS Full-time,year-round. Compre

hensive benefits. EnglishlSpanish bilingual aplus. New Settlement has an 11-year trackrecord of neighborhood revitalization, community building & organizing, and positive youth

development. Mail cover letter, resume and 3references to Job Search , New Settlement

Apartments & Community Services, 1512

Townsend Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452. No faxes,

please. EEO/AA.

The Urban JusticeCenter's Homelessness Out

reach & Prevent ion Project seeks a DIRECTOR

to supervise a 7-person team of attorneys and

non-attorney advocatesengaged in direct ser

vices work through weekly outreach legal clinics for homeless or marginally housed clients

who face legal problems, including govern

ment benefits, housing, and disability. Applicants must be admitted to practice law in New

York State, and mu st possess experience with

direct client representation, class action/lawreform litigation, and fund raising . Applicantsof color are strongly encouraged to apply.Salary commensurate with experience . Send aletter of interest and resume ASAP to: Search

Committee , Urban Justice Center,

666 Broadway, 10th floor,

New York , NY, 10012, email:[email protected] , fax: 212-533-

4598.

Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) ,a national leader in the development of effec

tive housing & service initiatives for homeless

people is recruiting for the following positionfor its 350 Lafayette street Transitional pro

gram. Anationally recognized model for help

ing mentally ill homeless women acquire housing, the program services include transitionalhousing for 40 women , comprehensive case

management, group treatment, on-site psychi

atric &medical services &housing placement.

CLINICAL COORDINATOR/Overnight &WeekendTeam (9:30pm - 7:30 am , 4 shfts/week)

Responsibilities: Supervise overnight and

weekend team, provide clinical services, crisisintervention, oversee group treatment activities &participation in program development &quality assurance. This position has significant decision-making, administrative , pro

gram management, and service delivery

responsibilities . Requires: CSW, 3 yrs applica

ble post-masters exp, 1 yr supervisory expo

Spanish speaking preferred .Salary:$46,459 +co mp benefits. Cover5 letter and resume to:

Melody Hartmann, CUCS-TLC, 350 Lafayette

Street, NY, NY 10012. CUCS is committed to

workforce diversity. EEO.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZER to work in midsize,

community based human services agency in

midtown Manhattan . Full oversight of Advoca

cy & Community Building initiatives with

agency and community. Must have excellent

grassroots organizing skills; understanding of

community assessment & research ; able to

design strategies; coalition building strategiesand implementation of advocacy plan; out

standing communication skills;computer literate. MSW or degree in relevant area and sig

nificant experience required . Salary $35-40K

depending on experience; excellent benefits.Please send resume to: Hudson Guild Human

Resources , 441 West 26th Street,NY, NY 10001; fax (212) 268-9983 ;[email protected] .

SOCIAL WORKER (MSWl. Weston United Com

munity Renewal , a non-profit mental health

agency located in central Harlem seeks MSW

with psychiatric and MICA experience . Suc

cessful candidate will supervise casework

staff, coordinate intake referrals and interviews, interface with community agencies,and

provide direct clinical services to an adultmentally ill population in a residential setting.Work hours are evenings and one weekend day.Knowledge of DHS and DMH compliance standards and supervisory experience preferred .Bi

lingual a plus. Excellent career opportunity.

Salary: $40's and great benefits. Fax resume

to: Joseph Wong, Human Resources Manager

(212) 316-0789.

The CUCS Housing Resource Center (HRC) is

seeking a PROGRAM DIRECTOR for Training

and Technical Assistance Services to oversee

its local and national training and consultation

efforts. This unit assists hundreds of organiza

tions serving homeless and low-income peopleand individuals with special needs to increase

their capacity to deliver quality services. The

position is responsible for program develop

ment and management, staff supervision, cur

riculum development, proposal preparation

and business development, and delivering

group trainings and one-on-one technicalassistance. Some travel required. Require

ments: Related Master degree , minimum of

seven years of experience in housing or human

services and at least five years of supervisory,managerial or technical assistance experience .Excellent written , verbal, interpersonal and

analytic skills. Computer literacy also required .Experience in supportive housing, mental

health, homeless services , and training and

consultation strongly preferred. Competitivesalary and benefits. Send resume and cover

letter to: Suzanne Wagner CUCS Housing

Resource Center 120 Wall Street, 25th Floor,

NY, NY 10025 Fax: 212-635-2191. CUCS is

committed to workforce diversity. EEO.

NY Foundling, a highly respectable social ser

vice agency, is seeking qualified individuals for

positions in foster care & prevention services.SOCIAL WORKER , MSW/BSW/BA .Bilingual/English 3+ . SOCIAL WORK

SUPERVISOR . MSW. Foster care & supervisory

exp required . Send/fax 212-886-4098 resume

w/ salary req to: HR-LA, New York Found

590 Avenue of the Americas , NY, NY 1001

Email : [email protected] .

HUMAN RESOURCE ASSOCIATE to assist a

director in providing volunteer opportunities

retired and senior citizens. Develop and im

ment strategies for the recruitment of new

unteers . Interview, train, and place volunte

at new and existing sites. Provides manament assistance to volunteers . Prep

progress reports as required . Represent CS

community meetings and conferences. Par

pate in preparation, coordination and im

mentation of special events. Job Req

ments: Bachelor's degree or equivalent of

(4) years experience in volunteer managem

and/or community organizing or developm

activities . Good oral and written commun

tion skills required . Knowledge of word

cessing and other basic software applicatiSubmit resume and cover letter to: Commu

Service Society of New York Human Resou

Department RS-4 105 East 22nd Street,York, NY 10010 Fax 212 614-5336 [email protected]. EOE.

The Valley Preventive Services is seeking M

and BA CASEPLANNERS to provide inten

case management for families at riskof plment. Requires knowledge of ACS rules

regulations. E.G.UCR's and MPR 's, prog

notes. Ability to provide intensive indivi

and family counseling and referrals fo

families per case load. Willingness to con

home/office visits on aweekly basis. Bi-lin

aplus . Salary; BA level27k to 31k, MSW 3

40k. Fax resume to Cassandra Francis,gram Director at (212) 932-2124.

HEAD TEACHER. Major nonprofit seeks afessional with paid early childhood classr

experience for their residential BrooklynManhattan sites.BA in ECEIMA A+. Experi

supervising child care workers required. Pl

fax 212-465-9539 or send resume w/sa

requirements to: HR Director, Women In N

Inc. 115 W 31st Street,New York,NY 10001

EOE, MIFN/D. No calls please.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR. Major nonprofit s

and experienced professional to manage

daily operations of their residential site. R

MSW, MPH or MA in related field . Demons

ed social services experience; 2-3 years su

visory or administrative experience inclubudget management req 'd. Strong comm

cation and people skills req'd. Knowledg

family services or res . Services &employm

preferred. Please fax 212-465-9539 or

resume with salary requirements tITHR D

tor, Women In Need , Inc. 115 W. 31st St

New York, NY 10001. An EOE,MlFNID .PROGRAM SUPERVISOR. MSW or related

w/3-5 years experience in family or res. c

seling services or BSW or related field. Wit

8 years experience . Bilingual/Spanish sp

ing required. After care and Shelter

COUNSELORS BSW or related field. And ex

ence in counseling or case managemKnowledge of working w/homelessness ,stance abuse, domestic violence and em

CITY LIMI



ment required. COUNSELOR/JOB PREP SPE

CIALISTS BA in Human Services or related fieldand experience in social service setting and

working with clients on vocational/employment

issues and familiarity w/welfare policy. Bilingua[ Spanish speaking preferred. PARENTING

& LITERACY COUNSELOR BA in Education or

Counseling & paid experience. INTAKE COUS

NELOR-ADDICTION COUNSELORS MSW

w/paid work experience in substance abuse or

CASAC wlBA or BS and relevant experience .FAMILY THERAPISTS (PT orm SW &NYC cer

tified, paid substance abuse experience and

experience providing family therapy required.

HOUSING SPECIALIST BA or equivalent in work

experience. NYC housing mktg. Experience and

Bilingua[/Spanish required. We offer excellent

benefits package. Plea se fax 212-465-9539 or

send resume w/salary requirements to: HR Dir,

Women [n Need, Inc. 115 W 31st Street New

York, NY 10001. An EOE MlFIDN. No calls

please.

Social Service: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR for SF

multicultural human service agency. Commu

nity development, architectural services, fami

[y support, workforce training. Requires experienced manager, proven fund raising , MA/equiv.

Comp $80K to $100K DOE. Resume to: Asian

Neighborhood Design, 1182 Market St. #300.

San Francisco, CA 94102. Fax 415-522-8620,www.andnet.org.

Fortune Society is looking for a progressive,innovative individual to be our SR. DIRECTOR

OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT. Ho[ding a key role

by managing overall operations and marketing

of the unit, this out-the-box thinker will create,

administer and implement development

strategies. Know[edge of performance based

employment outcomes/strategies is a plus. ABAIBS required, Masters preferred ; 5 rs super

visory or program management expo Send all

resumes with cover letter specifying salary

requirements to: The Fortune Society, 53 West

23rd Street, New York, NY 10010, Attn: HR

Manager. Fax to 212-255-4948 or email to

[email protected].

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR. Minimum three

years of experience coordinating membership

or individual donor programs and services.Bache[or's degree required. Interest in immi

grant issues a plus. Send resume and cover

letter to DJM, 112 Fourth Avenue, Meuanine

F[oor, New York, NY 10003

OFFICE MANAGER. Six or more years of experi

ence in nonprofit administration , including

management and supervision. Bache[or'sdegree required . nterest in immigrant issues aplus. Send resume and cover letter to DJM, 112

Fourth Avenue, Meuanine Floor, New York, NY

10003

The SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT will lead and

manage the development and structuring of

initiatives and programs that contribute to and

support the economic and physical deve[op

ment of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment

Zone. Experience with the cultural industry &arts organization necessary. Focus is on non

profit development, tourism and culturalindustry development, human capital develop-

DECEMBER 2001

ment and quality of life nitiatives. Target initiatives include arts and culture, institutional

capacity building , workforce development,public projects and other initiatives related to

economic development. The LOAN OFFICER will

provide one-on-one counseling to small busi

ness owners in the areas of finance, management, marketing and business planning . Per

form full credit analysis and projection scenar

ios for proposed loan fund clients. Structure

loan terms and assist in the closing process forapproved loans. Present written and oral rec

ommendations to the Loan Committee. Serve

as a iaison with all forms of [ending programs.

Provide monitoring and follow-up assistance

loan customers. Participate in training pro

grams and seminars for BR[SC and other ser

vice providers. Interact with community orga

nizations, banks, loan funds, governmental

agencies and service providers on behalf of

clients. Conduct outreach and marketing to

attract new BRISC loan clients. Exceptiona[

analytica[ experience and credit training pre

ferred. Bache[ors degree and commercial [end

ing or banking experience required . Spanish

speaking candidates encouraged to apply, but

not necessary. Fax resume & cov . [tr. to 212-410-9083. E-mail to [email protected], or

mail to UMEZ 290 Lenox Ave . New York, NY

10027. EOE. For more information , please see

our web site at www.umez.org.

Social services ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIREC TOR A challenging opportunity for a creative

and dedicated professional to be involved in

the management of daily operations for a ran

sitiona[ housing facility for homeless familieslocated in Brook[yn . Supervision of all program

services including contracted service

providers. Successful candidate will also han die program development, quality assurance&

ensuring compliance with all city and state

regulatory requirements. MSW preferred while

a MA in related field is necessary. Five yearsmanagement experience preferably in a residentia[ setting. Must be computer [iterate.Bi[ingua[ a plus. Salary starts in low $50s.Resumes to: HELP1 , 515 B[ake Avenue, Brook

[yn, New York 11207 or fax: 718-495-1946 .Attn: Nancy Nunziata or via email to: nnunzia

[email protected]. EOE. Adrug free workplace.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR. New educationa[/cre

ative arts afterschool/evening program for 7-

to 12-yearold children of Long [sland University students. Responsibilities: daily operations;supervision; curriculum development. Require

ments: MA, 5years experience with children, 2years supervisory. Bilingua[/Spanish preferred.

Salary: $35,000-$45,000. Excellent benefits.Meets Monday - Thursday 3:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

F[exib[e 4- or 5-day 35-hour work week . Fax or

email resume/cover letter: Charlotte Marchant,Director,Learning Center for Educators &Fam ilies, LlU , fax: 718-246-6499 ,

[email protected].

COORDINATOR of the custody planning pro

gram. This position focuses on working with

H[V+ parents to help them plan for the future

of their children. Contact: Please FAX resume

and cover letter to Felicia Coleman, Senior

Coordinator (718) 585-5041. COORDINATOR of

the peer training institute. COORDINATOR of

the women's HIV prevention program. Hea[th

Force: Community Preventive Hea[th Institute ,an award-winning Bronx health support and

education project, seeks two coordinators for

its leading HIV prevention programs-theCoordinator for the Peer Training Institute and

the Coordinator of Women 's Prevention. The

candidates also need excellent supervisory

skills; training ability and presentation skills;and computer literacy. App[icants should have

a minimum of two years college or three years

related work experience , preferably dealing

with HIV, and familiarity with the South Bronx.

Contact: Please FAX resume and cover letter to

Doris Casella , Director of Family Services (718)

585-5041.

VP FOR REAl ESTATE &ASSET DEV'T: Har[em

based nonprofit seeks experienced, se lf direct

ed leader for real estate operations. Know[edge

of RE finance, property mgt., ax credit compli

ance and public sector funding sources

required . Quantitative , underwriting and management skills amust. MBA prefered . Emai[ or

fax resume to: [email protected] or 212

3685483

Seedco, a national community development

intermediary provides financial/technica[assistance to build partnerships between

anchor institutions and CBOs that lead to com

munity revitalization. Seed co's

programmatic/investment strategies target

the fol[owing areas: workforce development,community economic development, affordablehomeownership/commercia[ real estate and

capacity building aimed at CBOs . Positions

availab[e: NFORMATION TECHNOLOGY in com

munity revitalization; SMALL BUSINESS

DEVELOPMENT; NON-PROFIT/SMALL BUSI

NESS LENDING; CHILOCARE INITIATIVES;

PUBLIC RELATIONS . Send resumes to

[email protected] For specifics on the

positions, visit our website :www.seedco.orgljob.

Anon -profit organization seeks an experienced

OFFICE MANAGER/RECEPTIONIST. Duties

include answering phone, general office man

agement, assisting Directors in administrativeand clerica[ support. Prior experience is

required for this job. Please send your resume

and cover letter to: [[email protected] .

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PROJECT ORGANIZ

ER. Make the Road by Walking (MRBW) , agrassroots , membership-led organization that

works to create power through community orga

nizing, leadership development and popular

education is seeking an experienced, bi-lingualcommunity organizer to spearhead an Environ

mental Justice Project that creates community

power to challenge urban environmental haz

ards, such as : lack of open space, ead poisoning, and illegal dumping that are concentrated

in low-income,communities of color. Responsi

bilities include: extensive door-knocking , campaign planning and coordination, leadership

development, member recruitment and training , one-on-one meetings, direct action plan

ning, assist with MRBW's other active organiz

ing campaigns, and active participation in

MRBW's staff collective. Must be available to

work some evenings and weekends. Peop le of

JOBADS

color and women are encouraged to app

Salary in the 30,000's, based on life and w

experience. Please contact Environmental J

tice Hiring Committee at Andrew

maketheroad.org, or by fax to (718) 418-963

COUNSELOR. BA Degree or equivalenthuman services/related field. Crisis interve

tion and MICA experience a plus. Salary: H

20's. Location: Bronx. Fax resume to: New E

Veterans, Inc. 718-904-7001. Attention: Ju

Anne Jeenarine.

HIV HEALTH EDUCATOR. The Institute for Fa

ily Health, a not for profit Health Care Agen

in New York Cty, seeks a health educatorwork with persons living with HIVIAIDS in p

mary health care setting in the Bronx. Prov

treatment adherence education to individu

and groups. Work with health care tea

Strong clinical knowledge of HIV illness a

current treatments is required . Spanish de

able. Will cons ider LPN, RN, FNp, MPH andcommunity health education experience . Se

resume to: [email protected].

REGISTERED NURSES &LICENSED PRACTICNURSES. NYS Licensed RN & LPN needed

provide nursing services including triagepatients in an ambulatory care setting. M

be proficient in venipuncture and administing immunizations. Bilingua[ Spanish p

ferred . Send resume with salary requireme

to Wayne Webb: Fax: 212-989-6170 or mai

IUFH 16 East 16th Street, New York, NY 100

email: [email protected] .

Citizens Advice Bureau is seeking a RE

DENCE DIRECTOR. Reqs masters in SW

related field a + min of 6 yrs of soc service

min of 4yrs exp in program mgt &supervis

Will manage & supervise Bx Tier II shelterhomeless families . Responsible for contr

compliance, meeting government regulatioprogram development, supervision of she

staff, writing monthly program, reports to

Must develop relationships w/funders, co

munity, and other programs. Reqs excel

writing , communication and organizatioskills. Knowledge of entitlements, hous

related issues , case mgt, & homelessn

reqd . Fax cover letter, resume ,biz refs o CM

(718) 365-0697.

The Professional Staff Congress, AFT L

2334, is a progressive, activist union re

senting over 17 ,000 faculty and instructiostaff at the 18 campuses of the publicUniversity of New York (CUNY). The PSC

five openings on our energetic staff te

Three permanent positions: OFFICE MANAGCoordinating support staff, office operati

technology and meetings; ASSOCIATE EDIT

Reporting, writing and related work; ADMI

TRATIVE ASSISTANT TO OFFICERS. Handinquiries, assisting in preparation of matermaintaining schedules and files. Two tem

rary positions (now through 6/30/02): OR

NIZERS: Membership mobilization and rel

union activities. For more information, conFaye Alladin at 212-354-1252 or send res

and cover letter to: Faye Alladin , PSC , 2

43rd Street, NY, 10036, or fax to 212-7815. Specify which position interestsFor Associate Editor, please also send c



ILLUSTRATED MEMOS

F ~ ~ r OFFICEOFIHECIlYVISIONARY:(

, ,,, , r- r

Rudy's domed sportsstadium in Manhattan

might not be themost

prudent use of t a ~ 1 J a y e r funds at this time.

HOMELAND SECURITY ENHANCEMENT

PLANNQ 91101-6

Let's do something morepractical with the federal

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GOT AN IMPRACTICAL SOLUTIONTO AN INTRACTABLE PROBLEM";)SEND IN 11©OdJrRl ~ ~ f M ) @ T O D A Y ! 38

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OFFICE OF THE CITY VISIONARY

CITY LiMITS MAGAZINE

120 WALLST., 20TH FLOOR. NY NY 10005

ootcv@ citylimits.

CITY LIMIT



Application deadline: November 30. The PSC

is an equa l opportunity employer. Women and

peo ple of co lor especially encouraged to

ap ply.

StatewideTANF/Jobs FIELD CAMPAIGN ORGA-

NIZER. Community Voices Heard, an antipoverty memb ers hp organization is hiring an

experien

ced indiv

dual

to build and manage

statewide campaigns on welfare reform and

job creation issues. The position will bu ildCVH's statewide mobilization capacity, orga

nz ing legis lative meetings and networks

arou nd the state to partic ipate. Responsibili

ties include membership recruitment, coalition

building, chapter building, training leaders ,and organizing community forums and

statewide legislative action days. Qualificat ions in cl ude 2 yea rs organizing experience ,ab ility to work ndependently, access to a car;b-l ingual Spanish is helpful but not required .This position is based out of NYC with significant upstate travel. Salary DOE. Call 212-860 -6001 for mo re information or check out:

www.cvhaction.org . CVH- 170 East 116thStreet Suite IE, New York, NY 10029.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZER . Community Voices

Heard , an anti-poverty membership organization is seeking an experienced individual forthe position of Community Organizer. This

position is respons ible for managing CVH

organizingcampaigns,

leadership development, strategizing and base buil;ing. Salary

DOE. Call 212-860 for more Information or

check out www.cvhaction.org . CVH - 170 E.

116th Street, Suite IE New York, NY 10029.

ASSET MANAGER. The Enterprise Social Investment Corporation (ESIC) is currently searching

for an Asset Manager for our New York, NY

office to oversee a portfolio of tax credit projects through site visits, financial review and

problem reso lution as needed. This positionrequires a thorough knowledge of real estate

and basic finance. Bachelor's degree and 5years + housing and rea l estate required or

Mas ters deg ree with 3 years experience pre -

ferred. Property management and financial or

accounting experience will be helpfulWe offera competitive salary and excellent benefits.

Send resume with sa lary requirements o: The

Enterprise Social Investment Corpora t ion c/oHuman Resources 10227 Wincopin Circle,Suite 800 Columbia,MD 21044 Fax: (410) 772-2676 Email: [email protected] Equal Oppor

tunity Employer.

PART-TIME SPANISH SPEAKING CASEWORKER .Bronx Violence Prevention Program seeks Part

time case wo rker to counsel teenagers and

their parens in Spa nsh/Eng lish. Res um es to:

Derek V Schuster, SCAN 207 East 27th Street,New York, NY10016. Fax: 212-683-2522.

PROGRAM ASSOC IATE at Center for NYC

Affairs, in New Sc hool's Mi lano Grad uate

School of Management and Urba n Po licy.Part-time. Organize public seminars , forums,lectures. Facilitate policy development with

pu blic officials , community leaders , advo

cates, non profits, others. Educate the public,

JOB A

journalists and influential people

issues affecting NY neighborhoods,grants . Must have public policy expe

excellent writing an d communicationbe able to work independ ently and

building networks of interestingSalary FIT equivalent high $30s , DObenefits . Cover letter, resume to:

White, Drector, Center o r NYC Affairs,Graduate School, 72 Fifth Avenue , Roo

NYC 10011. Or e-mail : wh

newschool.edu. New School Universityequal opportunity employer.

BILINGUAL (ENGLISHISPANISH) COMM

ORGANIZER for Mothers on the Move, aroots social justice organization . Resp

ities: conduct outreach, help develop ne

ers and staff aca mp aign.Community o

ing experience strongly preferred. Targdate: January 7, 2002. Contact: MOM

Committee, 928 Intervale Avenue , Br

10459. Fax: (718) 842-2665. Email:h

mothersonthemove.org .

Reach 20,000readers in the nonprofit sector.

Advertise In CITY LIMITSCall Anita Gutierrez at

(212) 479-3345

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P l e a s e j o in t h e s t a f f o f

C I T Y L IM IT S a n d t h e C E N T E R F O R A N U R B A N F U T U R E

f o r a R E A L p o l i t i c a l p a r t y

I t ' s o u r 2 5 h A n n iv e r s a r y C e le b r a t i o n ! D o n ' t m is s i t !

T hu rsd ay , M a rch 7 , 2002

from 6 to 9 p .m .

B rid g ew a te rs a t th e S o uth S tre et S ea po rt

Y es , I w ou ld like to s ign up now to be a pa rt o f the 25 th A nn ive rsa ry G a la B ene fit C o m mittee !

o V I C E - C H A I R :

At $10,000 Includes: Twelve Premium Tickets

and a Gold Page in the Tribute Journal

o S T R A T E G I S T :

At $1,500 Includes: Three Premium Tickets

and a Half Page in the Tribute Journalo V I S I O N A R Y :

At $5,000 Includes: Eight Premium Tickets

and a Silver Page in the Tribute Journal

o A C T I V I S T :

(individuals/nonprofits only):

At $500 Includes: Two Individual Tickets

and an Eighth Page in the Tribute JournalI D E A L I S T :

At $3,000 Includes: Six Premium Tickets

and a Full Page in the Tribute Journal

O R J O I N U S I N D IV ID U A L L Y :

o Enclosed is $ for premium tickets at $400 each

o Enclosed is $ for individual/nonprofit tickets at $125 each

o I'm sorry, I cannot attend. Please find my tax-deductible donation of $ enclosed

o Please send me information on purchasing a tribute in the 25th Anniversary Gala Journal

Print your name as you wish it to appear in the 25th Anniversary Gala materials:

Name: __

Organization: _

Address: _

City/State/Zip: __

Phone: Fax: E-Mail: _

Fo r m ore in fo rm atio n, c all A nita a t 2 12 .47 9.3345 o r e -m ail par t y@ci ty l im i t s . o rg

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

city limits magazine, december 2001 issue

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